Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Darkness
by devereauxr
Summary: Follow Xehanort as he escapes Destiny Islands and begins his journey to becoming one of the most powerful Keyblade wielders in the franchise. Birth by Darkness will set the motivations of this thrilling trilogy of Xehanort's rise. See the birth of a warrior, witness the rise of a hero, and follow the descent into darkness. By the end of this tale will you question the darkness?
1. Prologue

" _In ancient times people believed that light was a gift from an unseen land by the name of Kingdom Hearts._

 _However, Kingdom Hearts was safeguarded by its counterpart the X-Blade._

 _Warriors vied for that precious light thus beginning the Keyblade War._

 _But the violent clash shattered the X-Blade into twenty pieces._

 _Seven of light...and thirteen of darkness._ "

* * *

 **Part I: Awakening**

In a barren wasteland, where rusted and lifeless keys once waged war, stood a man of an elder age. The land itself was scarred and ravaged but had otherwise lain untouched by anything other than time. Surrounding the man were once powerful Keyblades, each wielded by the ancient Chasers of Light and the infamous Seekers of Darkness. The man stood there with his eyes closed as a gentle breeze lightly ruffled his long jacket. He then turned and opened his eyes, their golden sheen reflecting the setting sun. A young boy of seventeen stood before him. The boy too had golden colored eyes, they bore the same look of unquenchable curiosity the elder man had once wore. He wore a sleeveless grey jacket over a white shirt with matching grey pants. His hair was a long mane of silver, and he had the developed tan of an islander. Like the elder man, that stood before him this boy's name was Xehanort. The two contemplated each other before one of them spoke.

"Who are you?" asked the younger Xehanort.

The elder man just waved his hand, and three weapons appeared before him.

The man pointed to three weapons and spoke in a gnarled voice. "Power sleeps within you. If you give it form, it will give you strength."

The elder Xehanort pointed at the first weapon a magnificent sword.

"Power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction," said the elder Xehanort.

He pointed to the next weapon a mighty shield. "Power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all."

Finally, he pointed to the last weapon a magical staff."Power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin."

The elder Xehanort pointed to the young boy before him.

"Choose!" he shouted.

The younger Xehanort contemplated for a moment before reaching for the sword. The sword disappeared in a flash of light, and Xehanort felt a pulse of power flow through him. The elder Xehanort lifted his hand and summoned a Keyblade much like the ones that surrounded him. A creepy smile played across his face as he opened his mouth and spoke. "Your heart belongs again to darkness."

He swung his Keyblade in a powerful arc, sending a strong gust of wind swirling towards his younger counterpart. The ground beneath them began to tremble as powerful gusts wind forcefully blew the lifeless Keyblades from the ground. The elder Xehanort smiled as darkness began to ravage the surrounding land. The ground cracked as the younger Xehanort struggled to stay to his feet. The darkness swallowed everything, pulling Xehanort into its depths. As Xehanort felt himself lose consciousness the last thing he saw was the smile of his elder counterpart.

...

The world where nothing gathered. Existing on the edges of both light and darkness. Inhabited by those never supposed to exist, this world was made up of discarded remains left behind by other worlds. The once scattered pieces now formed magnificent skyscrapers. In the center of the city was an airborne fortress that floated in the sky, dominating its view. In it's highest tower top Xehanort regained his consciousness. He stood up and gauged his surroundings. Before him stood a large muscular man wearing a large black hooded coat. The man's hood was up, and his back was faced towards Xehanort as he looked up to the sky.

"Who are you?" asked Xehanort.

The man turned towards Xehanort and lifted back his hood. He wore a long mane of messy silver hair and he too had golden eyes. The man lifted his hand and the word 'Ansem' appeared. The man flicked his wrist and the letters started to swirl around him. Finally, the man flicked his wrist once more. As he did, an X was added to the now scrambled name. The name now spelled 'Xemnas'.

He opened his mouth and spoke in a deep silky voice. "I am what's left or maybe I'm all there ever was."

Xemnas turned around and lifted his hands to the sky. As he did images of countless worlds appeared before him. Xehanort stepped back and gaped in awe at what he saw. Xemnas turned on the spot and smiled. Lifting his hand, he summoned a Keyblade. It was the very same one wielded by the man before him.

"All worlds begin in darkness-" he said in his enigmatic voice.

He pointed his Keyblade at the worlds above and shot a beam of darkness to the sky. The darkness swallowed the worlds as the castle itself began to tremble and collapse. Once again Xehanort found himself struggling to stay on his feet as the castle began to crumble beneath him. Xehanort felt himself slip once more into the darkness as he caught one last glimpse of Xemnas.

...

Xehanort awoke next in complete shadows. No floor could be seen and he appeared to be floating in mid-air. He looked around and gasped in awe. In front of him, the decimated remains of worlds Xemnas had displayed earlier floated before him. Even more troubling were the massive balls of energy that were congregating from those remains and moving towards each other.

"The inevitable reality of all worlds is ironic is it not?" asked a menacing voice.

Xehanort turned around and was met with a sneering face. He had a similar appearance to Xemnas but his face and attire bore an uncanny resemblance to the elder man he originally met.

"What do you mean? Who are you? What's going on here?" asked Xehanort.

The man let out a bone chilling laugh and pointed to the remains of the worlds.

"The worlds you see before have succumbed to the power of darkness. Just like myself they have cast aside their shackles and embraced the darkness. Their hearts are now free to reunite as a collective whole," he said.

Xehanort shook his head and pointed to the senseless destruction.

"This doesn't seem right, though," he said.

The man laughed once more. "You understand so little. One who knows nothing can understand NOTHING!" he said.

He pointed to the world's hearts "Each world is born from darkness emerging into the world of light. From there it spends its entire existence being protected from the very source from which it came. That protection acts as it's prison forever confined by the light. You see darkness' true essence is freedom, a freedom all hearts inevitably crave!" he cried.

Xehanort looked at him and asked once more. "Who are you?"

The man lifted his hands to the air summoning a Keyblade, the same one as his predecessors."It is I Ansem the Purveyor of Freedom, the Seeker of Darkness!" he shouted.

Darkness began pouring out from Ansem's body and began engulfing the entire area. "So all world's begin-" Ansem shouted, as the darkness began to entrap Xehanort pulling him lower and lower into its depths. "-and all so end!" he finished.

...

A magnificent, and beautiful kingdom; known throughout the worlds as the City of Light. In the central square just outside the main town, stood a man who radiated great power. He looked very similar to Xemnas, but with a much shorter crop of silver hair. His attire looked out of place compared to the world that surrounded him. He was dressed in the traditional garb of the ancient Keyblade Warriors. The man's golden eyes had a dazed look almost as if he was not quite sure where he really was. As Xehanort came to the man looked down at him. Xehanort pushed himself up and took a cautious step forward.

"What is it you guys are trying to show me?" asked Xehanort.

The man reached out and grabbed Xehanort by the throat. He then lifted Xehanort off the ground with startling strength. "Who am I?" he asked.

Xehanort struggled against the man's grip when he was abruptly dropped to the ground. The man suddenly doubled over in pain clutching his head with both hands. He then stood up and opened his eyes, a dark smirk painted on his lips. He summoned his Keyblade the same one wielded by all the others and spoke.

"You think yourself so different?" he asked.

He swung his Keyblade in a heavy downward arc that Xehanort swiftly dodged.

The man let out a diabolical laugh. " I will guide you to the depths of darkness! Only there will you find the one truth that matters!" he shouted.

The man tossed his Keyblade into the air and caught it. He followed up by planting his Keyblade firmly into the ground as it crackled with dark energy. As darkness poured from the man's Keyblade he pointed at Xehanort and shouted.

"Your heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it. It grows, consumes it. Such is its nature!" he shouted.

Suddenly an explosion of dark energy erupted from his Keyblade knocking Xehanort unconscious.

...

Xehanort awoke to the familiar sound of waves gently washing over the pristine beach. He got up and found he was now on one the islands of his home. This particular island was familiar to him as he had spent many a childhood hours playing here. He had even built many of the tree houses with the help of his father.

"Was it all a dream?" he asked aloud.

He walked towards the water and looked out to the setting sun. He thought about what he had seen. However, he found that thinking about it brought only more questions. He sighed in frustration at the limited answers his home provided to his many questions. Questions of a world much larger than his own. The very idea of it made Xehanort feel tiny and insignificant. He stared out to the vast stretches of the sky that lay before him.

"This world is just too small," he said aloud.

He looked over to his left and saw a boy with a black coat standing on the island across the bridge. The hooded figure too looked out at the sunset and instinctively Xehanort knew they had both been thinking about the same thing. Xehanort jumped up onto the bridge and crossed it. He approached the black hooded figure

"Xemnas?" asked Xehanort.

The figure turned around and removed his hood as Xehanort stepped back in shock. This time, Xehanort definitively recognized who he was. Standing before him was an exact doppelganger of himself. The two Xehanorts stared at each other, their golden eyes reflecting one another. The black coated Xehanort lifted his hand offering it to Xehanort as he spoke.

"In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came," he said.

The black coated Xehanort turned around as an aura of darkness erupted from his body and consumed the entire island.


	2. Chapter I: The Power Within

" _Sharpen your fear into rage. You must! If you do not let the storm within you run its course it will wipe you from the face of the world make no mistake!_ "-Master Xehanort

* * *

Complete and consuming darkness surrounded Xehanort. He felt his very essence fading away. The darkness threatened to consume him as Xehanort willed himself to resist it.

"The darkness is nothing to fear..I can fight this!" he shouted to no one.

It was at that moment that no one decided to answer him.

" _Do you truly believe that?_ " asked a disembodied voice.

Xehanort wearily looked around still struggling against the darkness that fought destroy him.

" _Most people would believe that darkness equates an ending. Do you truly believe you can fight against something like that_?" asked the voice.

"I'm still here..I..I haven't ended yet," Xehanort replied.

" _This is true but darkness cannot be destroyed it can only be channeled. You've done well to last this long but you've only done so because you've willed yourself to survive. You've accepted that the darkness is not the end. Now all you have to do is seize control of it. The darkness will end you unless you do,_ " said the voice.

Xehanort reached out into the darkness feeling it's aura surround him. He could feel the tendrils of its power touch him as he willed it to do his bidding. He could feel his weariness slip away as he began to come out of his previous state of despair. He willed the darkness to dissipate and as he did he saw a growing light in the distance.

" _Well done..perhaps you are the one,_ " said the voice.

The light in the distance grew brighter with each passing moment.

"I don't understand," said Xehanort.

" _It matters not. You showed no fear in controlling your own darkness. It is every bit a part of you as your light is. In the time before the worlds, people thought the light was the only way. In the end, they ended up consumed by the darkness they brought into the world because they knew naught how to control it. Remember this as you walk down the path your heart has laid out for you. If you do not let the storm within you run it's course it will destroy you,_ " said the voice.

The light now burned with a ferocious intensity consuming all the darkness.

"But who are you? What does all this mean?" asked Xehanort.

The voice responded without answering Xehanort's questions. " _Your path is set. On it our goals will align,_ " it said.

Xehanort shielded his eyes as the light filled the room. The last thing he heard was the voice.

" _Good luck...Xehanort_..."

...

"Xehanort...Xehanort...XEHANORT!"

Xehanort awoke abruptly as he nearly fell from his bed. He looked up and saw his father towering over him. Xehanort closed his eyes and tried to capture the details of his strange dream. However, he could already feel bits of it slipping through the cracks of his memory. As he tried retaining what little he could to memory, he was met with a smack to the forehead.

"Xehanort! Are you really going to go back to sleep right in front of me? You're the one who asked me to train with you today," laughed his father.

Xehanort sat up swiftly. He nearly forgot about the special training he had asked his father for two days ago.

Xehanort smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Father I was just pondering this dream I had," he said.

Xehanort's father raised an eyebrow with a knowing look. "I'm surprised your brain doesn't explode with all the pondering you do," he said with a laugh.

Xehanort's dad walked out of the room and headed downstairs. "Meet me at the usual place in fifteen minutes.. that is if you're not too tired to row the boat over there," he said with a wink.

Xehanort quickly got dressed and grabbed his practice blade before heading downstairs. He kissed his mother goodbye and headed out to the rowboat to meet his father.

...

Fifteen minutes later Xehanort was on the defense as he engaged his father in a warm up spar. He jumped backward and blocked the heavy downward strike his father had just aimed at him. His father then proceeded to let loose a flurry of slashes attempting to create an opening. Xehanort, however, was very familiar with this tactic and pivoted himself from side to side with nearly flawless footing. His father then initiated a powerful forward thrust. Quickly reacting Xehanort slid to the outside of his father's guard. Xehanort then twisted backward, bringing his blade into an upward arc, and knocking his father's sword out of his hand. In the next moment, Xehanort used his blade to sweep his father's feet from under him, and pointed his sword at his father's throat, signifying the end of the duel. His father let out a hearty laugh as Xehanort offered him his hand to help him up.

"That was a good one son," he said.

Xehanort laughed as well, at least his father was always a good sport.

"I think you're finally strong enough to handle your own Aura Weapon," said his father.

Xehanort looked up in excitement; this was what he had been waiting for after all these months of training.

"Now as you know the heart is a powerful weapon," said his father.

Xehanort nodded having had the value of a strong heart beat into his head over the past few months.

"The heart allows us to draw forth and manifest the power that sleeps within us. This is how we are capable performing magic. Our hearts draw forth the energy within and we can manifest it into various magical attacks," explained his father.

Xehanort nodded, eager to hear more.

"Now not only is the heart powerful weapon, but it is also capable of creating powerful weapons. These weapons are manifestations of power deep within each individual, and as such are unique to the individual. The heart draws forth that power, and manifests it into what we call an Aura Weapon," said his father.

He lifted his hand and in a flash of light a large blue crystal sword appeared in his hand. "This, for example, is my weapon Tide Breaker," he said.

Xehanort gasped in awe as he had never seen his father's Aura Weapon. Then again on their tiny island home, there were really minimal reasons for one to need a weapon in the first place. It made Xehanort wonder why his father had actually bothered learning to materialize and use one.

"Now you certainly have enough power to materialize an Aura Weapon. The real trick, however, is being able to channel that energy and focus it into a physical manifestation," said his father, shaking Xehanort from his thoughts.

He gave his father his full attention, nodding for him to continue.

"Now this is similar to using the magic we have practiced these past few months. All you have to do is dig deep within yourself and draw forward your untapped power. The only difference is that instead of manifesting it as energy based attacks you have to bring it forth and will it into the physical plane," his father explained.

Xehanort nodded and closed his eyes lifting his right hand. He concentrated his power just the same as he did when he used magic. Only this time he dug deeper within himself. To Xehanort's surprise, he had found a reservoir of power he didn't even know he had. This new found power startled him as he didn't know whether he could control it. Xehanort suddenly doubled over in pain. He tried to push it back but the power within him was already drawing forth, bouncing around his body, begging to be released.

Just as suddenly his vision began to cloud from, strained by the sheer force of the pain he was in. Everything began to spin, as Xehanort struggled to remain conscious. He tried to focus on his father, but even his father appeared distorted. One minute his father was there and the next minute he began to distort into someone else. He then morphed into a large muscular man in a black coat. The man wore a mane of messy silver hair and shared Xehanort's distinct golden eyes. Xehanort recognized the man from the dream he had that morning but could not remember his name.

The man lifted both of his hands and materialized twin blades of red. He smirked as the vision of him began to change once more. The image quickly warped into one of himself wearing the same black hooded coat that the previous man wore. The black coated Xehanort also lifted both of his hands and materialized a set of twin blades. However unlike the previous ones these were blue and shaped like the hands of a clock. Xehanort felt himself growing wearier by the second and could no longer tell if these images were real or not. Suddenly he heard the distinct sound of his father's voice.

"Xehanort! You must not be afraid of your own power bring it forth. If you do not let the storm within you run it's course it will destroy you!" his father cried, sounding very far away.

At these words, Xehanort began to recall small details of his dream from that morning. In particular, he recalled seeing visions of other worlds besides his own. For some reason, this gave him a moment of clarity. Xehanort managed to pull himself to his feet and immediately his vision cleared. Seeing his father before him Xehanort raised his right hand and willed the power coursing through him to come forward. To his surprise, a flash of energy sparked in both of his hands and twin blades of white-blue energy appeared in them. His father smiled widely and clapped Xehanort on the shoulder.

"You did it son and on the first attempt too!" exclaimed his father.

Xehanort weakly smiled back. "Yeah I did it!" he said.

With that, the blades disappeared from his hands and Xehanort passed out from exhaustion.


	3. Chapter II: Ancestor From The Outside

_"I wanna be strong one day like that kid who left. He went to the outside world. I bet he's really strong now._ _"-Riku_

* * *

In the months that followed Xehanort's skill with his Aura Weapons grew to the point of mastery. Long gone were the days that materializing them caused Xehanort great strain. He adapted quickly to dual wield combat, and soon his Malice Blades, as he had come to call them, became weapons of deadly precision. He also learned from his father that he was capable of using them as a conduit to focus and use magic. Though this skill was much harder to master then using the blades themselves, Xehanort soon found himself able to use powerful magical attacks in tandem with his physical combat.

His father too showed great interest in his Aura Weapons. Specifically, he was interested in the form they took. His father explained that Aura Weapons are unique to the individual and no two weapons were alike. He explained of all the many unique shapes an Aura Weapon could take, there was one form that was not unique. Ethereal Weapons were a type of Aura Weapons that were extremely rare. According to his father's archives on Aura Weapons, these weapons were associated with the divine. Their wielders had such untapped power, that when materializing their Aura Weapons, they always took on forms of pure energy. This was because a pure physical form like a sword or a gun had a finite capacity for how much power it could draw out. Ethereal Weapons had an infinite capacity and as such were the only forms capable of utilizing that power. Wielders of these weapons were quite rare, and always had a large impact on the greater world.

In his father's words this meant Xehanort must be meant for greatness.

"It's destiny!" his father would always say with excitement.

He would always have a look of pride when he explained this to the other islanders. But as Xehanort walked the beach late at night, staring out at the vast expanse of the ocean, he was reminded just how trapped he felt. On his tiny island home he was a prisoner. Trapped within the confines of his world, Xehanort failed to see what world changing destiny could possibly await him. Apart from mastering his Aura Weapons, only one thought plagued his great mind. Looking up to vast sky, and taking note of the numerous amount of stars, Xehanort once again pondered the other worlds he had seen in his dream.

There was not many details he could recall but that part was always crystal clear. For whatever reason the vision of a world beyond his own resonated with Xehanort so powerfully that it had become nigh impossible to forget. He was inflamed by the idea. The very thought that there was more for him to experience beyond these shores shook him to his very core. Though he had no proof those worlds existed he knew that they were real. He was so sure of it that it was as if the very fact was etched into his heart. He sat down and continued to stare out at the vastness of the sky above.

He made no movement as he heard a familiar set of loud footsteps approach him

"Hello, father can't sleep either?" asked Xehanort.

"How can I sleep, when my wife keeps bugging me to find out where our son, who likes to stay out late, has decided to wander off to," he said with a wink.

"Sorry father, I was just doing some thinking and lost track of time," said Xehanort.

"It's okay, just let your mother know next time. She has tendency to worry, and when she worries I end up hearing about it," said his father clapping Xehanort on the shoulder.

His father then sat down next to him as he too gazed up to the stars. As if reading Xehanort's mind his father then spoke about the very subject he had been thinking about.

"When I was your age my father used to tell me that for every star, there exists another world," he said.

Xehanort was shocked at such a confirmation from his father. Xehanort turned his head and paid his father rapt attention as he continued.

"He told me that our people's history is deeply rooted with a man who came from another world. He told me that there once was a time when all the worlds were one. However something happened that separated them," explained his father.

Xehanort was enthralled, all this time he had wondered if his vision could possibly be true, and now here was confirmation. Xehanort nodded eagerly, urging his father to continue.

"In the aftermath of the worlds separation, a man appeared on this island. He arrived with five children, and stayed here seeking refuge. He raised those children as his own and in time they began to call this place home. The people of this island welcomed them with open arms," said his father.

He paused and gazed back up towards the stars.

"Then one day the man and four of the children disappeared without a word. They were never seen again. The only evidence that they had ever been there, was the silver haired boy that had been left behind," his father finished.

Xehanort was amazed beyond belief at the reality that there really were other worlds, that his own people had history involving them. The possibilities flew through his head.

"What happened to the man and the other four children?" asked Xehanort.

"No one knows, they were never seen again. We only know that the fifth child remained here. He stayed here for the vast majority of his life, before one day disappearing himself. It's said that though he left, his descendants remain here to this very day. Although time and word of mouth have distorted which family are actually his," his father responded.

Xehanort contemplated for a moment. The males of his family had always bore the same long crop of silver hair. Perhaps his family were the descendants.

"It's not us if that's what you're thinking," his father said, interrupting his thoughts.

Xehanort smiled, his father always had a way of knowing what he was thinking.

"I've combed our ancestry more times than I care to admit and there is no link that connects us to that man," his father said with a laugh.

Xehanort laughed as well and then once more turned to his father.

"Why are you telling me all this father?" asked Xehanort.

"Because I was like you when I was your age. I too dreamed of a world that lay beyond these waters. I dreamed of the adventure and knowledge that the outside world would bring me," his father explained, letting out a long and weary sigh. "But those dreams are distracting, dangerous even. It was those dreams that almost cost me the life of your mother."

For the first time in Xehanort's life, his father wore a look of deep sadness.

"I tell you this not as a deterrent, but as a warning. Don't let your dreams become an obsession. Don't let them distract from what matters the most," he said gently.

Xehanort stared at his father then nodded.

"I understand father," Xehanort said.

His father clapped him on the shoulder his cheerful disposition returning immediately. "I almost forgot. Tomorrow is your birthday. Now that you'll be old enough I want you to accompany me on my survey of the Northern Islands," he said.

"What does that entail?" asked Xehanort.

"As an elder it is my duty to survey the unexplored islands to see if there are any resources our people can make use of," his father said, standing up and motioning for Xehanort to do the same. "Tomorrow we're going to explore a particular island from the Northern Islands. We got a long day ahead of us so let's head home and get some sleep."

Xehanort got up to follow his father but paused and took one last look up at the stars. Regardless of what he told his father his dream of seeing the outside world seemed more possible than ever. Xehanort felt deep within his heart that tomorrow's journey would be crossroads of his destiny. His entire life suddenly felt as if were building up to whatever awaited him on that day. One way or another his destiny was upon him and tomorrow would be it's first step forward.

* * *

AN:Sorry guys for the wait but life happens unfortunately. At any rate from here on out I will attempt to put out three chapters week. I already have the next chapter done and am working on the third. Hope the first few parts don't seem too boring because it's just setting up the stage for what's to come. After this next chapter things will definitely pick up. Hope you enjoy and please review it helps motivate me.


	4. Chapter III: Destiny's Departure

_"The door has opened...The door has opened Sora! Now we can go to the outside world! Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back! But this may be our only chance! We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!"-Riku_

* * *

Xehanort woke up early the next morning. He packed up some clothes and extra provisions for his journey. He then went outside to do some training with his Aura Weapons. He was working on a technique he had dubbed Peerless Slash. It was a flurry of light speed slashes that temporarily stunned the opponent. It was followed up by two jumping slashes that finished the opponent off. Xehanort had recently discovered that by using his Aura Weapon as conduit he could channel his excess power reserves to increase the strength or speed of his attacks. This new technique was the results of his discovery. After training, Xehanort returned to his house where is father was now waiting for him.

"You must be excited. I don't recall the last time I've seen you up so early," his father said with a smirk.

"Ha ha ha," said Xehanort.

"By the way happy birthday!" his father said.

He reached over and handed Xehanort a small package with his name on it. Xehanort eagerly opened it and pulled out a long gray sleeveless coat. The coat was made of extremely light material and also had a hood.

"That has been handed down from father to son for generations. It is always given when one becomes of age. It's a lot more suited for combat than that stiff vest you have on now", explained his dad.

Xehanort looked down at his vest. Now that he thought about it his vest had gotten quite tight on him. Xehanort had begun to become more muscularly developed with all the training he had done over the past few months. His vest, as a result, had grown more restrictive. He took off his vest and put on the jacket. It fit perfectly, almost molding itself to his body. Although Xehanort was not usually one for fashion, even he couldn't deny it looked good on him.

"Thanks father!" said Xehanort with a smile.

"No problem son I'm glad you like it. Now come on we have a long day ahead of us," his father said, as he grabbed his gear and prepared to head out.

Xehanort too grabbed his things and prepared to face whatever the day held in store for him.

...

Twenty minutes later, Xehanort and his father were tying their provisions down. As soon as they arrived at the docks, they noticed that in the distance dark storm clouds appeared to be gathering. As his father wished to be safer rather than sorry, they decided to secure their equipment. After ensuring that everything was safe, they set off for the Northern Islands. As they sailed, his father explained that while the East, West, and South Islands had been mostly explored, the North Islands were a largely uncharted territory. The Elders had decided the time was ripe to start exploring them. In particular, they wanted a certain island explored, one that was marked by a large statue that supposedly took on the shape of a horned creature. Xehanort kept a keen out for the identifying landmark while his father charted their course on his map. Xehanort, who was eager to find the island, would overreact to the slightest sight of movement. This greatly amused his father, who was tense with worry about the growing storm in the distance. Finally, after what seemed like hours of searching, Xehanort spotted a large stone structure mounted proudly on the forefront of an island.

"Land ho!" shouted Xehanort.

His father burst out laughing. "We're not pirates Xehanort!" his father said, still laughing.

Xehanort laughed as well knowing how silly he sounded.

"I know father I'm just excited after waiting all this time!" Xehanort said.

The two men sped off towards the island as the unknown loomed closer and closer.

...

After Xehanort and his father tied their ship to the dock, they set off to do some long awaited exploring. The first thing they set out to examine was the large stone structure that guided them here. After trudging across the large stretch of beach, they finally arrived at the structure. After getting a closer look, Xehanort found himself in awe. Instead of a tribute to some forgotten creature, like he was expecting, before him stood a magnificent statue of a unicorn. The statue depicted the unicorn rearing forward on its hind legs. His father also seemed impressed with the statue, though his interest in it extended only enough to wonder who placed it there.

His father scanned the island then spoke. "Xehanort I think we will cover more ground if we split up. I want to get this done before this storm hits us," he said, as he looked at the looming storm clouds.

"If you find anything of interest or run into trouble just cast Fire into the sky," his father said.

As if to give an example he summoned Tide Breaker and shot a fire spell to the sky.

"Just make you remain vigilant son. We don't have any idea who or what may be on this island."

With that, his father set on his way. Xehanort watched his father walk off into the distance and then returned to examining the statue. He was not sure why but he was drawn toward the structure and he felt that it would lead him into the right direction. He began to study the base of the statue circling the pedestal in which the great unicorn stood. On the front of the base directly underneath the head was a strange marking. Xehanort dusted off the marking hoping to get a clearer picture of what it was. As it turned out the image was that of a crown. It appeared to be on raised surface compared to the rest of the base. Xehanort pressed down on the crown and stepped back.

Immediately the statue started to shake as a beam of light shot from the tip of the unicorns horn. The beam flew high into the sky and shot back down hitting the statue. The structure started to tremble as it began sinking into the ground. Once the statue was completely submerged, a new pedestal began to rise its place. The new pedestal only held a glass podium. Xehanort took a closer look and saw that on the podium was a single piece of paper. The paper itself was ancient and looked as if had been torn from a book. At first, the paper bore nothing on it, but when Xehanort took a closer look, words began to appear on the page.

" _Xehanort rowed the boat into the storm, looking back at his father for the last time._

 _The storm would steer him into the darkness, to a world far beyond his own._

 _Beyond the storm his destiny awaited._ "

Xehanort nearly dropped the page in shock. Here on an uncharted island, untouched by man in ages, was a piece of paper with his name on it. Xehanort trembled as he contemplated what this could possibly mean. Here, right in front of him, was a depiction of events that had never happened to him. Yet here they were on a practically prehistoric piece of paper. What was worse was the depiction seemed to confirm he would reach the outside world, but at the cost of never seeing his family again. Xehanort put the piece of paper into his pocket and sunk to his knees. He wasn't sure of what to make of this newest revelation. He began to wonder if he should even hold stock of what was written on the page. For all, he knew this could be some elaborate birthday hoax played on him by his father and the elders. However, no sooner then the thought crossed his mind, rain began pouring down. Xehanort looked up and realized storm that had threatened them from the moment that had left this morning had finally arrived.

...

Dark clouds had gathered with startling speed, as heavy rain poured down like bullets. Xehanort raised his hood to give himself some form of cover. The storm's intensity quickly picked up as the wind began to blow with increasing force. Xehanort managed to gather his senses and as he did he remembered their ship was still on the dock. If he didn't want their ship to be blown to smithereens, he had to secure it better. He ran along the beach as bursts of lightning and claps of the thunder rolled through the island. He got to the ship and began working quickly to secure it to the dock. Once he was finished he got onto the ship to check to see if their provisions were secure. He double checked their equipment making sure everything was tied down. He grabbed his knapsack and pulled the piece of paper from his pocket. He was about to store it into his knapsack when a powerful gust of wind blew it from his hands and out to sea. At that same moment, he heard his father calling out to him. He saw his father running towards the ship as fast as he could. Xehanort who was normally very collected felt himself begin to panic. That page was the very key to his destiny. Without it, he would be forever a prisoner of his tiny island home. He knew it would be very stupid and foolish of him to go after it. Yet his heart was begging him with every fiber of it's being to go. Without another moment's hesitation Xehanort threw his knapsack on and materialized his Aura Weapons. Moving quickly he cut the lifeboat from the side of the ship and dropped it into the water. He grabbed the two oars and jumped into the small boat. As fast as he could he began paddling out to sea. He looked back at his father who just managed to get to the ship.

"Xehanort! What the hell are you doing?" his father shouted.

The devastation and desperation in his voice nearly made Xehanort turn back. He managed to collect himself enough to respond.

"I'm sorry father I have to do this!" he shouted.

"Xehanort get back here! XEHANORT!" his father screamed.

But Xehanort continued to row on. Tears formed in his eyes as the desperate screams of his father for his son to return echoed over the noise of the storm. As hard as it was as Xehanort rowed forward knowing in his heart he had to push on. Xehanort's skill and strength allowed him to navigate the rough waters but he was unsure of how long he could keep up with the increasing intensity of the storm. His eyes desperately scanned the waters for any signs of the piece of paper. However, if it was growing extremely difficult as the storm raged on. Just when Xehanort had begun to think he dragged himself into death's arms for no reason he spotted it. He rowed towards it hoping that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. His faith was rewarded as he managed to scoop the paper out of the water. To his surprise, however, the paper was bone dry. Xehanort scanned the paper noting it still bore the small paragraph that led him here in the first place. Unfortunately, his moment of distraction cost him dearly as a rogue wave slammed against the side of the small boat. The boat was knocked into the air as Xehanort was immediately flung from it. He clung to the piece of paper in his hands for dear life as the waves knocked him around. Suddenly Xehanort could feel the surrounding water pulling in one direction. Xehanort turned to see the water starting to swirl into a giant whirlpool. In the middle of the whirlpool was what he could only describe as a dark portal. Xehanort began desperately trying to fight the pull of the water when he remembered what the page had said.

" _The storm would steer him into the darkness to a world far beyond his own._ "

If Xehanort's heart could speak it would be screaming right now. He knew this was the moment he had been waiting for all along. With great determination, Xehanort swam towards the dark portal. Without an iota of fear he dove into the portal and felt the dark energy suck him in.

...

Once again Xehanort felt the sensation of floating in mid-air. His body was sore and he felt greatly fatigued. For a moment he wondered if maybe he died and gone to heaven.

" _No boy you are not dead,_ " said a disembodied voice.

Xehanort recognized the voice but could not place where he had heard it before.

"Where am I?" asked Xehanort faintly.

" _You currently drift the Lanes Between and are close to your destination,_ " said the voice. " _Once again you showed no fear in stepping into the darkness. For that, I have chosen you Xehanort._ "

Xehanort however could no longer perceive what was going on and once again felt himself slipping into unconsciousness.

" _Xehanort...my successor.._ "

...

"Hey are you still alive? Hey come on wake up!"

Xehanort slowly opened his eyes, and awoke to a young boy with long dark hair peering over him.

"Thank goodness you're alive I thought for sure you-" he said, stopping mid sentence as Xehanort suddenly pushed away from him.

Xehanort stood up quickly making quick note that both the page and his knapsack were missing. Xehanort tensed and quickly materialized his Aura Weapons.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Xehanort asked fiercely.

He took note of his surroundings and saw he was in what appeared to be a courtyard. Before him stood a grand set of steps that led to a magnificent castle. The boy who awoke him stepped backward and put up his hands trying to indicate he meant no harm.

" Calm down I was just trying to help," he said.

"Where am I?" Xehanort asked once more.

"This is the Land of Departure..you fell from the sky.. this..this is my master's castle,"said the boy.

Xehanort felt his Aura Weapons slide from his hands and disappear as he fell to his knees. His last thought before he passed out once again was that he had done it. He had finally reached another world.


	5. Chapter IV: Eraqus

_"Upon reflection, my life underwent the most considerable sea-change when I arrived at that place. Yes, it began when I found a Master, and another I would later call my brother—when I found a new home."- Xehanort Report I_

* * *

A gust of wind blew the ancient page into the air as a dark haired boy repeatedly shook Xehanort in an attempt to wake him. The page flew lazily in the air going higher and higher before finally landing on a balcony belonging to one of the higher towers. The page laid there for a moment before it was picked up by with a man who had just stepped out onto the balcony. The man wore an ornate red cloak with an elegant hood that covered his blonde hair. His amber eyes looked over the page with mild interest before widening with shock. He stepped forward and looked over the balcony to see his pupil interacting with another young man he had never seen before. He watched as the new arrival materialized Aura Weapons. Much to the man's surprise, the boy's weapons were Ethereal Blades. The man looked back towards the page taking in the words that had appeared on it. As he read them a look of curiosity crossed his face. There was a sudden interruption as a young man came out to the balcony.

"Master I was sent to find you. A boy he fell from the sky-"

The man held his hand up to silence the boy. The boy handed him a knapsack which held a tag on it. The tag bore only the name Xehanort. Once more the man's eyes widened; a momentary flicker of fear flashed in his bright eyes.

"Bring him into the castle. Have one of the rooms prepared," he said.

"Yes sir," said the young boy.

After the boy left the man's eyes turned to the page once again taking in what it said.

" _The ark had finally arrived at the Land of Departure. A herald to the rise of darkness._

 _The shattered remains prepared to surface, all the pieces destined to appear._

 _A great destiny to be fulfilled alone._

 _Guided by the light of the first piece, Xehanort would continue on the path his heart had laid out._ "

"Could this mean?" the man asked aloud.

He tucked the page within his robes and walked back into the castle.

...

Xehanort came to the next morning and found himself in the comfort of a large bed. The memory of everything came flooding back to him. The torn page, the storm, and finally the arrival in a new world. Xehanort felt a pang of sadness at the realization that he may never see his family again. A lone tear slid down his cheek at the thought of his father's desperate screams for Xehanort to return. He thought about how his mother would react when his father would tell her that her only son was lost at sea. His only consolation was that he at least secured the ship and gave his father a safe way to get back home. Although Xehanort was filled with a deep sadness at his loss a part of him could not help but be excited at what he gained in return. The ancient page he found had told the truth, he had finally managed to reach another world. He got out of bed and looked around his room. Neither his knapsack or his page were anywhere to be found. He then walked over to the window and marveled at the view. Just as he presumed Xehanort was inside the castle he saw when he first arrived. He took the time to take in the magnificent landscape that surrounded the castle. He looked down and saw the courtyard that he landed on when he first arrived. His thoughts suddenly drifted to the dark haired boy who had found him. He wondered who he was. The boy had said that this was his master's castle which made Xehanort wonder if he was some kind of servant. There was a sudden knock on the door as it swung open revealing the boy from the previous day. The dark haired boy gave Xehanort a look of surprise as he spoke.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to be awake. Good to see you're not in a coma," he said with a short laugh.

Xehanort observed the boy who couldn't have been any older than fifteen. He had long black hair pulled in a ponytail with the remaining of his stray bangs that hanging over his forehead. He wore a long white hooded coat over a blue sleeveless shirt and rather large traditional looking pants. The most striking thing about him was he had a look of absolute cheerfulness that somewhat annoyed Xehanort. The boy walked over and he too looked out the large window.

"It sure is beautiful huh?" he asked.

Xehanort, however, continued to stare at the boy's attire.

"What's with the weird pants?" Xehanort asked rather rudely.

The boy narrowed his eyes giving Xehanort the notion he was extremely annoyed.

"What gives? I'll have you know this is very traditional gear. You don't see me making fun of your gray hair," he said defensively.

The boy looked had such a stern look and was so serious that Xehanort burst out with laughter. The boy looked at him for a long moment before laughing himself.

"Well I suppose to an outsider these pants are a tad bit over the top, " he said with a cheeky grin.

He put both of hands behind his head and leaned against the wall. "I'm sorry if I startled you the other day. It's not every day you see someone drop out of the sky. I was only making sure you were still alive," he said.

Xehanort crossed his arms and joined the boy on the wall.

"It's okay in all fairness I kind of overreacted," he replied.

There was a slight pause before the boy spoke again.

"So do you have a name?" he asked.

"Yes it's Xehanort," Xehanort said.

There was another momentary pause before the other boy finally addressed what was on his mind.

"So judging by the fact people around here usually travel by foot rather than falling from the sky... I'm guessing you're not from around here," he said nonchalantly.

Xehanort chuckled a bit at the boy's sense of humor.

"Yeah I guess you could say I'm from... out of town," he said with a smirk.

The boy raised an eyebrow as a curious look crossed his face.

"Well to be perfectly honest..." Xehanort said with a pause.

"The truth is I came from another world," he continued.

The boy cocked his head slightly, raising his eyebrows even further

"Really?" he asked.

Xehanort nodded. "Yeah, it's a long story."

The boy walked over to the desk and pulled out one of the chairs.

"Well I got some time to kill," he said with a grin.

In spite of just meeting him, Xehanort couldn't help but trust the boy. There was a pull kinship that he couldn't but feeling towards him. He didn't have many friends back on the islands because he always felt different from the rest of his peers. This boy was different and the similarities between the two were certainly visible to Xehanort. The ease at which the boy was able to talk to Xehanort didn't feel forced either. It was natural like they had been friends all their lives. For this reason, Xehanort sat down and told the boy his tale. He told about how he had come from the islands and the bits of his strange dream that he was still able to remember. He told him about finding the mysterious page and how it led him to row out into the middle of the sea during a storm. Finally how he crashed his boat and swam into the dark portal that somehow transported him here. After he finished the boy let out a long low whistle.

"Wow, that's quite a story. I can't decide if you're really brave, really stupid, or you just really hated that island," he said.

There was another pause between the two followed by another bout of laughter.

"Well, to be fair that was a pretty out of character thing for me to do. But when destiny calls.." Xehanort said, trailing off.

"Well I can respect how fearless you are even if that was pretty stupid," said the boy with a slight chuckle. "Although that just means I have someone else around here that is not afraid of a little danger. Unlike the rest of the stiffs around here."

With what was beginning to seem like his trademark grin he got up and extended his hand.

"Regardless of how you got here, I feel like it was meant to be. So I figure having a friend might make the transition easier," he said.

Xehanort looked at the boy with a grin and shook his hand.

"By the way, you never told me what your name was," said Xehanort.

"Oh, " he said with a slight pause."My name is Eraqus."

He stood up and motioned for Xehanort to do the same. "Come on I'll show you around," he said.

Xehanort got up and followed as the two boys set off ready for whatever adventure that fate had in store for them.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys I would like to apologize for not updating in a while. I've had an extremely taxing couple of months with everything going on in my personal life. I've also had an extreme case of writer's block which is in of itself ironic considering the entire plot of this story is already fleshed out. At any rate, I'm back to regular updates and I hope you guys will enjoy what's in store.


	6. Chapter V: Master Ansem

_"I've spent years studying the workings of the heart._

 _Yet it seems I still haven't learned a thing.'" -Ansem the Wise_

* * *

Over the course of the next few days Xehanort and Eraqus became fast friends. The pair had become almost inseparable, often engaging in practice spars, or holding deep conversations. Eraqus wasted little time showing Xehanort all of his hangouts in and around the castle. Today the pair were hanging out at the old training grounds, located little ways out from the castle. The grounds overlooked the surrounding mountains and villages. Eraqus explained to Xehanort that the area was once often used for training, but now it served as a hangout for students, as well as making a great observation point for the frequent meteor showers. While they relaxed Eraqus began explaining the purpose of the castle. It served as a place where young pupils could study magic and combat. The castle was under the leadership of a man named Ansem who held the title of Master. Under Ansem, there served a council of mentors who tutored the students in their respective areas of expertise. When a pupil proved him or herself of high caliber potential, they were invited to undergo an apprenticeship with Master Ansem for more 'specialized training'. Eraqus was about to explain what that training entailed when a man in a white robe approached them.

Eraqus let out a loud groan. "Oh boy here we go," he muttered.

The man reached them and pointed at Eraqus with a stern look on his face. "Eraqus where have you been? This is the third lesson you've missed this week," he said.

Eraqus gave the man a bored look. "Come on Jensen lighten up. It's not like I've missed anything that I don't already know," he said dryly.

Jensen let out a sigh of frustration. "I don't care how advanced you are in your abilities. Your father would not appreciate you and your sister skipping lessons for your-" he looked smugly at Xehanort-"frivolous pursuits."

From the context of the exchange, Xehanort could tell two things. The first was that this was a reoccurring argument between the pair, and the second was that Jensen for whatever reason disapproved of Eraqus' new found friendship with Xehanort. As if to prove his observation correct, Eraqus simply shrugged casually at Jensen, rubbing him off. Jensen in return shot a nasty look at Xehanort before returning his attention to Eraqus, who clearly didn't have the slightest interest in what he was saying. Instead, he put his hands behind his head and leaned back slightly a smirk sliding on his face.

"So my sister is playing hooky too?" Eraqus asked Jensen.

Jensen tossed Eraqus an annoyed look that gave him the answer. "Yes, apparently the notion that class is beneath you, runs in the family," he said.

Eraqus laughed. "Which is why she and I make a good team. Great minds think alike."

This time, it was Jensen's turn to slide a smirk on his face. "Well, great minds become less great when they don't keep up with their studies. A sentiment I shared with your father when I told him of your...absences."

Eraqus once again let out a groan. "Really Jensen you just had to snitch me out," he said, clearly annoyed.

Jensen straightened himself to full height smiling at his small victory " , I did. Your father expects you in his study by the end of the day... and bring the boy too." With that Jensen bid the pair a good day and walked smugly back towards the castle.

Eraqus turned back to Xehanort still wearing an annoyed look. "I know Jensen means well but sometimes he is a real in the-" Eraqus stopped and let out a long sigh. "-Well I guess there is no use griping about it. Might as well get this over with now, " he said.

Eraqus began walking back to the castle and motioned for Xehanort to follow. Xehanort, however, halted Eraqus. "Hey, Eraqus no offense but why on earth do I have to meet with your father? Is he someone important around here," Xehanort asked.

Eraqus rubbed the back of his head nervously and let out a small sigh. "Look I didn't want to bring it up right away for a couple reasons,"- his face had suddenly contorted to look like he was about to spit out something unpleasant.-"You have to understand people treat me different once they find out." Eraqus was clearly about to admit something that was a source of discomfort to him.

"Will you just spit it out Eraqus," Xehanort said, as he started to laugh."I promise not to judge you."

Eraqus stared at Xehanort for a moment. "Well, you know how I told you about the master of the castle?... Well I forgot to mention he's also my father..." he said, trailing off.

"And?" Xehanort asked, rather bluntly.

Eraqus snorted. "What do you mean and?" he asked. "That's a kind of a big deal."

Xehanort shrugged, "It's not as big a deal as you're making it out to be. Back on the Islands, my father was on the Council of Elders," he said.

Eraqus stared at Xehanort for a long time dumbfounded at his new friend's reaction, or lack of reaction at such big news. Clearly, Xehanort was the first person to ever be unimpressed with Eraqus' father being the master of the castle. Finally, Eraqus clapped Xehanort on the back. "You know this is why we get along so well you don't let anything phase you. My sister is going to love you. I can't wait to introduce you," he said with a smile.

The two boys began trailing their way back to the castle. As they walked Xehanort decided to ask Eraqus something that had slightly bothered about his recent revelation. "Eraqus why would your father's position be something you're ashamed of?" he asked.

Eraqus was silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. " I'm not ashamed of him it's just we don't always get along.-" he stopped walking-"He doesn't treat me like his son half the time. I'm more like his student...I mean what sort father makes his son refer to him by his full name and title."

Xehanort nodded in understanding. Even though his relationship with his father was a lot different he still understood the strain that comes from your father being an important public figure. The two started walking again as Eraqus continued "I mean it wouldn't be so bad if it was just in public but it's all the time. He's like one of those weird actors who never breaks character," Eraqus said sarcastically, putting his hands behind his head.

Xehanort laughed at the joke causing Eraqus to laugh as well.

"Well I guess you'll be finding out for yourself since he wants to meet you as well," Eraqus said.

He gave Xehanort a curious look wondering what his father could possibly want with him. As the two closed in on the castle he could have sworn he saw a flash of blonde hair sweep into the doors. But when they arrived at the doors there was nothing there. Deciding his eyes were playing tricks on him he brushed it off and followed Eraqus into the castle as they headed for his father's study.

...

Eraqus led Xehanort through the castle before finally stopping before two large heavily decorated doors.

"Well here goes nothing," Eraqus said.

He knocked three times on the door and waited. There was a momentary pause before the two heard a voice telling them to enter. Eraqus pushed the doors open, and entered the study, as Xehanort followed suit. The room was full of bookcases each holding many large volumes, and ancient looking scrolls. A large glass stained door leading to an outside balcony filled the back of the room. In the center of the room stood a single desk, and a chair. The man occupying the chair could only be Eraqus' father Master Ansem. Xehanort's first impression of the man was one of authority. The man oozed an aura that left no doubt as to which man in the room was in charge. He wore an ornately decorated cloak of red. Underneath the cloak was a set of highly traditional looking robes. He had blonde hair, despite his aged face, and had striking amber colored eyes. His eyes told Xehanort more of a story than any words could. It was here Xehanort saw a man of great intelligence, and power. His eyes told Xehanort that before him stood a man not to be trifled with. Master Ansem met Xehanort's gaze as the two sized each other up.

Finally, it was Eraqus who broke the silence."Father, you wished to-" Master Ansem looked sharply at his son and cleared his throat rather loudly. "-I mean Master Ansem you wished to see me," Eraqus said, quickly correcting himself.

"It has come to my attention that you and your sister have been skipping your lessons with Mentor Jensen," Master Ansem said, after a slight pause.

Eraqus quickly went on the defensive. "But sir, Jensen is just being a stiff. He refuses to move us forward in our lessons even though we have long since mastered the material. It's not our fault the rest of students are-"

Master Ansem held up his hand effectively silencing his son in way Xehanort had yet to see since he arrived. "I did not ask you for excuses," he said, harshly giving Eraqus a stern look. "I expect you, and your sister to be at Mentor Jensen's next lesson no excuses."

"But sir-" Eraqus said, starting to complain.

His father stood up to full height, making even Xehanort flinch. "That was an order, and I expect it to be followed. Am I understood?" he asked.

Eraqus reluctantly nodded lowering his head in defeat. "Yes sir," he said.

"Good, you're dismissed and if you happen upon your sister relay her the message."

With that, Eraqus traipsed out of the study still wearing a look of defeat.

Xehanort was about to follow him when he was halted by Master Ansem. "I did not dismiss you yet," he said.

Xehanort turned back around and walked back to the desk.

Master Ansem sat back down in his seat. "Please have a seat," he said.

Xehanort looked around for a chair but there was none to be found.

Master Ansem chuckled slightly. "My apologies," he said, as he waved his hand and conjured a chair from thin air.

Xehanort's mouth dropped open in awe as he sat down in the chair.

"Please excuse my earlier tone, my children have been ah...rebellious as of late. They require a firm hand," Master Ansem said.

Xehanort kept silent about the subject feeling it was not his place to question anyone's parenting skills. Instead, he blurted out something else. "How did you make that chair appear out of nothing," he asked.

Master Ansem laughed. "Inquisitive I see-" He held out a hand. "-Before existence, there existed nothing. Out of that void of emptiness, the beginning of our world was born. Nothingness lays on the cusp of both destruction and creation. Harnessing it allows us minor abilities of creation.-"he materialized a small apple and tossed it to Xehanort. "-Few have the ability to master it. Even those that have only have are only able to create no more than furniture or small amounts of food, " he explained.

"Do students learn that here?" Xehanort asked.

"It is not learned by the students..at least not by the average student," Master Ansem responded.

Xehanort nodded in understanding. Master Ansem studied Xehanort rather curiously before speaking again. "Eraqus tells me you came here from another world. Is this true?" he asked.

Xehanort hesitated before nodding. " Yes, sir."

Master Ansem nodded in return. "From which world did you come from?" he asked.

"Destiny Islands sir," responded Xehanort.

Upon hearing this Master Ansem raised an eyebrow, his curiosity peaking with interest. "That world has rich and extensive history," he said.

"Yes, my father has told me some of it. How an outsider came to Destiny Islands with five children, and how he left leaving one of his children behind," Xehanort said.

Master Ansem stroked his beard and smiled."Yes..that's how the story goes," he said slowly.

The way he said it gave Xehanort the impression that there was much more to the story that Master Ansem knew of. However, he didn't elaborate and instead appeared to be in a state of deep contemplation. Xehanort stayed nervously silent waiting for Master Ansem to continue. He suddenly returned his attention back to Xehanort."How did you escape your world? Under the circumstances, it should have been impossible."

Xehanort hesitated for a moment not holding the same level of trust with Master Ansem that he shared with Eraqus. Xehanort proceeded to tell Master Ansem a modified version of the events that led to his arrival at Destiny Islands. He made certain to leave out certain details such as the ancient page he found. When he finished Ansem studied Xehanort giving him the impression that he was aware Xehanort was not being wholly truthful. "Do you wish to return home?" he asked, suddenly.

Of all the questioned he could have asked this was the last one Xehanort expected. "Wha..what?" Xehanort stuttered.

"Do you wish to return home? If you so desire I can easily return you to the Islands. That is if that's what you want," he said, watching Xehanort carefully.

Xehanort was suddenly filled with anxiety. He couldn't leave now, he had only just arrived. He thought about his parents who were probably stricken with grief at the apparent loss of their son. However, his heart was desperately reminding him that his place was far beyond the shores of Destiny Islands. His destiny began at the Land of Departure, and he knew in his heart he had to finish on the path he started.

"No sir I believe I was brought here for a reason and... I would like to see what that reason is. I think this place has a lot more to offer me than the Islands," Xehanort said.

Master Ansem gave Xehanort a short nod. "This castle serves to teach students in arts that will equip them for the world much larger than their own. Whether it is combat, magic, or defensive strategy our Mentors who teach here are the best. Few students master what we have to teach here, even fewer have the qualities necessary for the true calling that this castle offers. I hope you prove yourself one of those few. I expect you to join Eraqus and my daughter at their next lesson.-"

Xehanort interrupted. "Pardon the interruption but what is this true calling you speak of. Eraqus said you do specialized training but he never got around to explaining what that training is."

Master Ansem laughed "Follow my son around I'm sure you'll figure it out. Part of discovery is the journey that leads to it," he said with a wink.

For some reason, Xehanort felt this statement held a double meaning.

"At any rate, you will begin your lessons alongside my children. Do your best to impress me. You are dismissed," Master Ansem said.

Xehanort got up and was about to leave when Master Ansem halted him. "One more thing when you arrived I noticed you were capable of materializing Ethereal Blades. Could you show me?" he asked.

Xehanort lifted his hands and summoned forth his blades. Master Ansem nodded in approvement. "A very impressive form of Aura Weapon, even more so for one of your age. Thank you for showing me you're free to go," he said.

He stood and reached behind his desk pulling out what Xehanort immediately recognized as his knapsack. "I believe this belongs to you. It was brought to me when you first arrived."

Xehanort took it, and ruffled through its contents everything appeared to be there except the torn page."Sir, did anyone find anything else when I arrived? Maybe a torn page?.."he asked

Master Ansem gave Xehanort a questioning look.

"It's a keepsake from my father," Xehanort quickly made up.

Master Ansem looked at Xehanort for a long time before shaking his head. He looked directly into Xehanort's eyes. "No one reported finding such an object. It must have gotten lost when you arrived," he said.

With that Xehanort left the study, and went to go search for Eraqus.

* * *

A/N : This chapter was a little hard to write because I wasn't sure how I wanted to characterize Xehanort's and Eraqus' master. I know the plot points I want to include but I was having trouble reconciling them with canon. I finally found a solution that allows me to go the direction I wanted while still following the canon storyline. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Please review it really helps in the motivation department. It also helps me know you guys if like the story and will help me fix any problems you might have. The next chapter will introduce one of the most important characters in the series. Hope you guys look forward to it.


	7. Chapter VI: Nadia

_"The three of us will always be one."- Aqua_

* * *

As it turned out Xehanort didn't have to look too hard for his friend. He found Eraqus close by, leaning against one of the support pillars, a worried expression painted on his face. Xehanort decided to take the opportunity and scare him. He stealthily snuck up on Eraqus and tapped him on the shoulder.

Eraqus nearly fell over, letting out a shout of surprise. "Geesh Xehanort what the hell," he said.

Xehanort laughed loudly at his handiwork as he helped Eraqus steady himself.

"Sorry Eraqus I couldn't pass up the opportunity," said Xehanort.

Eraqus gave a short laugh wearing an amused look. "It's not that big a deal-" he punched Xehanort lightly on the arm. "-To be honest I didn't think you had that kind of thing in you. You're usually so straitlaced," he said.

Xehanort punched Eraqus lightly in return. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

The boys continued to laugh as the headed away from Master Ansem's study.

"So your dad is..." Xehanort started.

"Intimidating, bossy, out of touch with how to be a parent," Eraqus listed off.

"I think intimidating would have been my first inclination, but I suppose those other adjectives could also be applied," Xehanort said with a laugh.

"So what did my father want anyway?" Eraqus asked, turning to Xehanort with a look of curiosity.

"Well, he wanted to know if I was really from another world. Then he wanted to hear the story about how I got here. So I told him 'pretty' much everything," Xehanort said.

"Only 'pretty' much everything?" Eraqus asked.

Xehanort nodded. "Yeah I kind of...left some details to myself," he said.

"That was probably smart, it's best to not place all your eggs in one basket. Especially if that basket is being held by my father."

Xehanort gave Eraqus a questioning look. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Eraqus stopped walking momentarily "My father has been known to like controlling the situation. He likes order and structure. Sometimes he manipulates things in order fit things into the way he feels they should be," Eraqus explained.

Xehanort nodded, relieved his instinct to not be totally trusting of Master Ansem wasn't unfounded.

Eraqus continued to walk as he further elaborated. "I'm not saying you have to be completely on guard with him but some things are better kept unsaid. Like that page, you told me about. With everything you told me about it was capable of...perhaps it's best my father didn't know about something like that."

Xehanort nodded agreeing that his actions were probably the best way to handle the situation for now.

"So what else did he want?" Eraqus asked.

"He offered to take me back home..back to the Islands," Xehanort responded.

Eraqus suddenly stopped walking a look of sadness, and disappointment crossing his face. "Oh...I suppose you would want to go home to your family... not much reason to stick around here... I mean I completely understand and-"

Xehanort held up a hand to stop Eraqus' rambling.

"Relax Eraqus I turned down the offer. To be honest I don't think he really wanted me to accept the offer rather he just wanted to see what choice I would make," Xehanort said.

A look of relief swept over Eraqus as his usual mischievous grin slid back on his face.

"Well that's cool not that anyone would miss your loud snoring," he said casually.

Xehanort gave Eraqus a playful shove. "Says the guy about to cry because he thought his best friend was about to leave."

Eraqus put his hands behind his head. "I don't know what you're talking about but I sure as hell wasn't about to cry," he said laughing.

Eraqus gave Xehanort a shove.

"Last one to the old training grounds has to do dishes tonight." he said, taking a head start.

The two boys took off out of the castle and raced off for the training grounds.

...

Several minutes later the two friends lay in heaps of exhaustion having finally arrived at the training grounds.

"Looks like I win," Xehanort said.

"No way I totally got here first," Eraqus responded.

Instantly, the two boys kipped up into combative stances.

"Tiebreaker spar," they said simultaneously.

Eraqus went over to the trainer's shed and pulled out two practice swords. Tossing one to Xehanort, he faced his friend and took his battle stance. As always the two gave each other a bow of respect before charging into combat. The two friends rushed at each other, each preparing to strike when suddenly they were interrupted by a blonde haired girl who, swiftly jumped between them. As Xehanort held back his strike to prevent himself from hitting her, she tossed him a wink. She then caught Eraqus' attack with her own practice sword. She used her blade to catch the hilt of Eraqus' and twisted it. Eraqus' sword immediately fell out of his hand clattering to the floor. She then gave Eraqus a light push knocking him softly to the ground.

"Sorry little bro but you had your fun-" She turned to Xehanort and pointed her sword at him. "-Now it's my turn to test the new guy."

Xehanort studied the girl, completely caught off guard by her presence. Eraqus had always mentioned he had an older sister, but since Xehanort had arrived, he had yet to meet her. She looked about Xehanort's age and was strikingly beautiful. She had long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail with a few stray bangs left hanging over her forehead. She wore a sleeveless button up of oriental style. Attached to the shirt was an ornately decorated, pale blue hood. She wore white fingerless gloves over long, black arm sleeves that came up to her elbow. Two belts crossed over her waist forming an X, the belts held two pouches on each side and hung over her skirt. The attire was finished off by knee-length leggings and armored boots. Her look was admittedly a lot more modern looking than Eraqus'. It was a perfect combination of girly and intimidating.

Xehanort looked into her piercing blue-green eyes, and it was there the real story was told. When Xehanort met with Eraqus' father, his eyes held an aura of power and confidence. This girl's eyes held the same aura, magnified by a hundred. Her eyes held confidence, intelligence, and a fiery burning passion; all twinkling simultaneously in their blue glow. She winked and slid on a mischievous smirk identical to the one her brother frequently wore.

"Are you going to check me out all day or are we going to fight," she said rather bluntly, laughing at Xehanort's obvious discomfort.

Xehanort blushed, snapping out of his daze. He gave her a smile of his own, readying himself for combat. "Sure why not I could use some practice."

The girl merely laughed as Eraqus looked on with a worried look.

"Go easy on him Nadia," he said.

Xehanort took slight offense to the remark. He was unsure of what to expect but she couldn't be much more of a threat then Eraqus if the two had trained together. Xehanort took his stance and charged straight for Nadia, hoping to catch her off guard. He quickly moved in swinging his sword in a downward arc. Nadia merely stood there unflinchingly. She easily caught the strike with her blade and knocked it away. Using the opening she ducked under Xehanort's second strike and elbowed him in the stomach before pushing him backward, creating distance between the two. Xehanort quickly realized that his previous assumption about her skill level being no better than her skill level was wrong. Dead wrong.

Xehanort tightened his focus as Nadia effortlessly volleyed a series of slashes that Xehanort had just barely managed to parry. Her speed with the weapon was impressive, wielding it with the skill of a seasoned master. Xehanort began pushing back her strikes with some of his own. His father had been training him in the art of swordplay since he was five. He wasn't about to dishonor his father's teaching by being easily defeated. He began pressuring her with a flurry of fast strikes, trying to bait her to strike back. He let his guard down slightly to give the false illusion that there was an opening she could take advantage of. Nadia took the bait and quickly jabbed her sword towards the opening. Xehanort took advantage of her momentum and used his blade to hook the hilt of her sword. He twisted his blade loosening her grip on the sword and then knocked it out of her hand with another strike. Nadia gave Xehanort a look of surprise as he moved in for the final strike. He jumped in the air and swung downward preparing to finish the fight. Before he could land however Nadia quickly performed a backward cartwheel, completely dodging Xehanort's strike, which instead hit the ground. Just as quickly she surged forward and kicked Xehanort's sword out his hand, grabbing his arm in the process. She turned into him and using her body as leverage flipped Xehanort over her shoulder. Before Xehanort could even raise his head, her knee was at his throat.

"Checkmate, I win," she said with a wink.

Xehanort was impressed beyond believe, he had never seen someone with the skill level of her caliber. Not even his father, who Xehanort had long surpassed, matched Nadia's skill in combat.

Eraqus chuckled at Xehanort's expense. "Don't worry dude, Nadia is the best warrior in the entire school. She's even kicked our father's a-"

Nadia shot Eraqus a threatening look. "Don't be disrespectful, little brother. Unless you would like go another round."

Eraqus put his hands behind his head. "I'll pass, I still have bruises from our last sparring session," he said sheepishly. "Xehanort meet my sister Nadia. Nadia, this is Xehanort who by the way is doing dishes tonight."

Nadia looked back at Xehanort.

"Nice to meet you Xehanort," she said.

"Nice to meet you too... but can you get off me please," said Xehanort in constricted voice, as he still had Nadia's knee embedded in his throat.

"Oops," Nadia said with a laugh.

She got off Xehanort, offering him her hand to help him get up. Xehanort took it noticing how nice it felt and how warm it was. He was also suddenly painfully aware of how sweaty his hands were. Once he got up Nadia began circling around him like a hawk studying its prey.

"Hmmm good posture,-" She grabbed his bicep and gave it a squeeze."-excellent muscle tone,-" She playfully stroked her hand against his face, winking in the process. "-nice jawline."

Xehanort had little experience with women but it was obvious that Nadia was a flirt and was immensely enjoying making Xehanort squirm. She stopped circling Xehanort and looked toward her brother.

"You certainly found a decent recruit little bro, unlike the usual scrubs we have to deal with," she said.

She returned her attention to Xehanort. "Sorry about the whole judo flip thing...that was the first time someone has ever disarmed me, so I kinda got carried away..." she said, trailing off.

Xehanort subconsciously rubbed his throat. "That's okay I can see why no one's ever disarmed you. You're beautiful!" he said, before realizing what he actually said.

"I mean, you're amazing...I mean...uh you're very skilled," he stuttered.

Eraqus walked over to Xehanort and draped an arm around him "Geesh buddy do you always get this nervous around pretty girls. Relax Nadia is one of us-" he pulled Nadia under his other arm. "-We're going be three peas in a pod." He suddenly let them both go. "Although that will start after Xehanort get's over the fact that he has to do both our dishes."

Eraqus and Nadia burst into laughter and after glaring at them Xehanort joined in. The three of them began heading back to the castle enjoying the new bonds of friendship that the day had forged.

* * *

A/N: Semi-important update I've done a bit of editing to all the previous chapters. Nothing major mostly corrections however I added a bit to the previous chapter particularly then end of Xehanort's conversation with Master Ansem. It will be an important point towards the end of the story.

On a side note let me know what you think of Nadia. She's a real charmer if I do say so myself!


	8. Chapter VII: The Kingdom Key

_"The Keyblade. One legend says it's wielder brought peace to the world another says it destroyed it. "_

* * *

After dinner, dish duty fell on Xehanort as according to Eraqus, he lost the tiebreaker spar. Though it was a technicality, considering Nadia's fight with him was unrelated to their bet. However, Eraqus insisted she acted as a substitute for him. Xehanort took the punishment not seeing any real reason to argue the point. Rather reluctantly he set off to do the mountain of dishes the three friends had created. He had just started scraping off the dishes when Nadia surprisingly walked in.

"Mind if I help? she asked, picking up a dish and starting to clean it.

"Sure..though by the looks of it, you didn't need my permission," Xehanort responded, laughing.

"Nope," Nadia said bluntly. "After all, technically speaking my little brother didn't actually win the dual."

Xehanort nodded. "True," he said.

The two continued to wash in an awkward silence. Finally, Nadia broke the tension between the two.

"So who taught you swordplay?" she asked.

Xehanort smiled. "My father did..he started as soon as I was five," he said.

Nadia's face lit up in excitement.

"I started at four," she said smugly, sticking her tongue out.

"I had to beg and beg my father to allow me to learn. He had more...traditional ideas seeing as I was a girl." She slipped into what Xehanort assumed was recollection mode. "He would always argue that I was his first born and that swordplay was inappropriate for a young girl." Her face crumpled into a look of disgust. "After he said that I told him to get his head out of the stone ages and give me a chance." She took the dishes they had finished washing and began drying them as she continued her story."I threw a giant temper tantrum for a week straight, not even my mom could calm me down. Finally after a week and a half of my ah...ruthless behavior, he finally decided to give me a chance."

Xehanort laughed at the determination of the girl, imagining a little blonde ball of energy, running around raising hell for her father. "Well, at least he gave you a chance."

Nadia nodded. "Unfortunately my father and Mentor Jensen made it really hard for me. Especially Jensen, who after discussing it with my father, threw me in with the Tier Two students which are a step below our highest ranked class."

Xehanort looked up in surprise. "And your father agreed to this?" he asked, passing her another dish to dry.

Nadia shrugged. "He didn't agree to it, but he didn't disagree with it either. He decided to let the cards lay where they fell. My mom was furious, though."

She started stacking the dishes and putting them away.

"So basically they threw me into Tier Two and gave me two weeks to master the basics or I would be taken from the class. Needless to say those were two of the hardest weeks of my life. The training was intense and I was expected to keep up with everyone else. I practiced nonstop and even had a few sleepless nights. By the end of those two weeks the little girl who was expected to fail had not only mastered the basics but had earned the respect of every student in the class. Even some of Tier One students were impressed with my work ethic."

The two friends finished the remainder of the dishes and Nadia led Xehanort over to a nearby table. The pair sat down to resume their conversation.

"So at the end of the two weeks, there was a big showcase to present to my father all that I had learned. Of course having mastered everything he had asked me to, everything went smoothly. However, Jensen wasn't satisfied with me simply me knowing the basics, even though that was what my task was. He picked a Tier One student and ordered me to beat him in a practice spar in order to 'prove' myself."

Xehanort frowned.

"This Jensen guy really is a stiff huh," he said, mimicking Eraqus' earlier description of Jensen.

"Yeah... he is most of the time." she said with a laugh.

"Anyway little did Jensen or my father know that I had my own trump card. My mom had secretly been prepared for that sort of scenario to play out. Every night, when everyone went to bed, she gave me private lessons. A lot of those lessons included strategies on defeating larger or more skilled opponents. So this kind of fight, while difficult, was right up my alley. Long story short, I took advantage of my opponent's arrogance. I managed to disarm him, then beat him using the same judo flip I used on you today."

Xehanort gave a playful clap, impressed at her accomplishment. "Not bad for a four year. You got me beat can't say I did something like that when I first started."

Nadia laughed. "Hey don't be down on yourself. You're actually really good. Like I said you're the first person to ever disarm me, that alone takes a lot of skill. Your father must have been a skilled warrior if he was the one that taught you. " she said reassuringly.

Xehanort smiled gratefully at the praise. "Well, I don't know if I would call him a warrior, since my home world doesn't have any threats to speak of, but he was certainly a master swordsman. "

She narrowed her eyes. "So the rumors are true? You really are from another world?" she asked.

Xehanort nodded and after a half, a second's consideration told her the entirety of his tale. Nadia paid Xehanort full attention as he regaled his story of escaping Destiny Islands. She reacted in all the right moments, particularly when he dove into the dark portal that brought him here.

"That was pretty brave of you," she said.

Xehanort gave a small laugh. "That's funny, your brother said it was a pretty stupid thing to do."

Nadia smirked. "Well I suppose it was a little reckless, but then again my brother is always...hesitant when it comes to being reckless."

Xehanort raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying he's a scaredy cat?" Xehanort asked.

Nadia continued to smirk.

"I'm not saying anything," she said slyly.

Xehanort burst out into laughter, to which Nadia soon joined in. Suddenly Eraqus poked his head into the room.

"What are you guys laughing about?" he asked suspiciously.

Nadia and Xehanort looked at each other and burst into another spurt of laughter. Eraqus grumpily left the room after sticking his tongue out at the two of them. Nadia let a long yawn before getting up from the table.

"Well I think it's time we headed to be bed we got a long day tomorrow," she said.

Xehanort gave her a questioning look.

"My father assigned you to join me and Eraqus in our lessons right?" she asked.

Xehanort nodded in response.

"Well, we have lessons all day tomorrow with Mentor Jensen and his sessions start bright and early. My father told me I have to make sure you get there, so off to bed." Nadia said bossily.

Xehanort got up, rather perturbed at being told what to do by someone his age. He was about to leave when Nadia gave his arm a light squeeze.

"Goodnight Xehanort, I really enjoyed our chat," she said tossing him her signature wink.

With that, she skipped from the room and headed to bed.

...

Xehanort was abruptly woken by a hard slap to the forehead.

"Wake up Xehanort!" said a female voice.

Xehanort groaned groggily, he rubbed his eyes, trying to wipe the sleepiness away. Not being accustomed to waking up this early, Xehanort quickly looked to see who had woke him up. Standing over him, with an impatient look on her face, was Nadia who was holding her half asleep brother by the scruff of his hood. Xehanort suddenly became aware that he was only wearing his boxers.

"Nadia what are you doing in here?" he asked, quickly covering himself with his blanket.

"I'm waking you up goof," she responded impatiently.

"You can't just barge into my room, ever heard of privacy or at the very least knocking," Xehanort said.

Nadia simply rolled her eyes. "Xehanort, I train with shirtless guys all the time, I used to bath this one-" she shook Eraqus, who wobbled like a rag doll. "-all the time when he was young. Needless to say, I've seen plenty of the male anatomy. Now get dressed, we have twenty minutes to get to Jensen lesson before he blows a gasket. I am not running an extra twelve miles because you two can't wake up on time."

She stomped out of the room clearly annoyed.

"Geesh and I thought I wasn't a morning person," Xehanort said to himself.

"If you're not out here in the next ten minutes, I'll show you what kind of morning person I can be," said Nadia from the other side of the door.

Xehanort quickly got out of bed and got himself dressed. He then followed an irritated Nadia as she dragged her still half asleep brother to class.

...

If Xehanort had the impression that Mentor Jensen did not like before, today was the day it was officially confirmed. Despite their rough start, the trio had actually arrived early to Jensen's lessons. However, even though they were more than on time; Jensen wasted little time throwing Xehanort dirty looks. As Nadia had told Xehanort the previous night Jensen was the swordmaster of the castle. As also she explained there were three tiers within the class Tier One, Tier Two, and Tier Three. Tier Three consisted of young children and young teens, Tier Two was reserved for the older students who were far more progressed in the program. Tier One consisted of the best students of the program. The Tier held the least amount of students but they certainly were considered the fighting elite. Nadia and Eraqus headed over to the Tier One portion of the class.

Nadia stopped and led Xehanort over to the Tier Two portion of the class. "Xehanort, I guess you'll start here for now."

She noted the look of distaste on Xehanort's face. "Look it's only temporary. It's just so it's easier for you to get adjusted to how things work here. I'm sure you'll get moved to Tier One easily with your skill level," she said reassuringly.

Xehanort reluctantly nodded. He headed over to the Tier Two students and was about to introduce himself when he was abruptly pulled backward by Jensen.

"And where do you think you're going?" Jensen asked.

Xehanort nervously cleared his throat. "I thought I was to start in Tier Two," he said with a gulp.

Jensen let out a crude laugh."Oh no no no. I won't have our new celebrity in Tier Two. No, you'll be joining the Tier One students."

Nadia stepped forward. "But sir, shouldn't he get acclimated to how things are first I mean-"

Jensen held up his hand silencing Nadia's reservation. "My class is sink or swim Nadia. You either cope or you leave the class. You should know that better than anyone," Jensen said coldly.

With that, he swept the pair towards the Tier Ones and began his training.

...

Xehanort learned quickly why there were so few Tier One students. All of them were at near peak skill level. The training to match their skill level was grueling and extremely intense. They started with a ten-mile jog as a warm up. They then proceeded onto calisthenics before finally reaching actual swordplay training. Xehanort silently thanked his father for his extensive training. Without it, Xehanort would have been drastically behind the rest of the students.

As it turned out, despite Nadia's earlier reservations, Xehanort easily adjusted to the class training and his skill level was certainly on par with the rest of the group. He caught Nadia several times flashing him a wink of approval as Xehanort skillfully completed several of the their training regimes. Even the other students seemed to approve of Xehanort after a while. The only one who seemed to disapprove of him was Jensen who criticized him every chance he got. However Xehanort did not let that deter him and continued on with the lessons completing every single one. By the end of the class everyone had clapped him on the back, welcoming him into the group with approval.

This however, was the final straw of Jensen's patience.

"Attention!" he shouted.

The group quickly got into standard formation.

"Xehanort step forward," said Jensen sharply.

Xehanort stepped ahead of his peers.

"You seem to fancy yourself one these warriors who stand behind you. I, however, am not impressed, I want to see you apply what you've learned today. So today you'll be entering the pit," said Jensen.

The rest of class gasped in outrage. Nadia and Eraqus quickly stepped out of formation both clearly angry.

"You can't do that Jensen, Xehanort's never fought a He-" Nadia started.

"Silence your tongue Nadia!" Jensen shouted, stopping her in mid-sentence.

"This is my class and I will test my students as I see fit." Jensen then proceeded to lead the group to a closed off area north of their training grounds.

Once there he pointed to a giant crater and told Xehanort to get in. Xehanort went in and Jensen waved his hands erecting a magic barrier around the pit. Xehanort waited, a sense of foreboding creeping up on him. It happened almost instantly, a wisp of darkness appeared to his left, and out of it popped a creature Xehanort had never seen before. The creature was pure black with bright yellow eyes and had distinct antennas on it's head. Just as quickly, three more of these creatures appeared. Xehanort tensed, instinctively materializing his Aura Weapons. The creatures were still for a moment, when suddenly their antennas twitched in the direction of Xehanort, and they all turned towards him. Suddenly, one jumped into the air and attacked, while another attempted to ram him from the side. Xehanort quickly reacted and knocking the one who attempted to ram him to the side, where it forcefully slammed against the barrier Jensen created. He then used his other blade, to cut the other creature down in midair. The third creature charged forward and Xehanort cast fire at it, causing to be temporarily stunned before Xehanort cut it down. The final creature had recovered from Xehanort's earlier blow and proceeded to attack. This time however Xehanort was ready and quickly destroyed it. Xehanort turned to the class who had erupted into applause and gave a thumbs up sign.

It was at that moment everything went bad. Suddenly a much larger portal of darkness opened and out of it a gigantic version of the creatures Xehanort just fought appeared. It easily knocked Xehanort against the barrier with a single swipe of his hand.

Xehanort could tell by the other student's reactions this was not a normal occurrence. Even Jensen looked startled and worried. Xehanort even a heard one of his fellow students say something odd.

"How did a Darkside get in? I thought only Shadows could breach the barrier."

Jensen quickly tried to calm his students."Everyone calm down, I will take care of this," he said.

However, Nadia pushed Jensen roughly out of the way. She held out her right hand and materialized a mysterious weapon that looked very familiar to Xehanort. The blade was silver and the edge had the shape of a key. The hilt was bright yellow and attached to it was a key-chain that bore a mouse-like emblem on it. Swiftly Nadia slammed the key-like weapon against the barrier completely shattering it. With deadly precision and speed, she warped right through the creature, cutting it into dust and vapor.

She then rushed over to Xehanort. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"I think so. What is that?" he asked pointing to the weapon on her hand.

She held up the weapon. "This is my Keyblade, the Kingdom Key."

At those words Xehanort felt his exhaustion catch up to him as he passed out.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys short update my laptop charger port broke so it might be a couple days before the next update. I have to wait for the part to come in so bear with me. Anyway enjoy the chapter, please review.


	9. Chapter VIII: Heartless and The Keyblade

_"This is what lights the darkness. A chance to make everyone happy."-_ Sora

* * *

The incident with Xehanort had caused quite a stir within the school. As much as everyone worried about Xehanort himself, people were more concerned with the large creature that had injured him in the first place. Xehanort had spent the next few days coming in and out of consciousness. It wasn't that his physical injuries were severe rather that his body was inexperienced with such sudden exposure to darkness. However, everyone was impressed that Xehanort was showing signs of a quick recovery considering it was his first time dealing with darkness.

During his time recovering Eraqus and Nadia visited every day. Nadia spent most of the time fretting over Xehanort, making sure he was being cared for properly. Eraqus, on the other hand, had complete confidence that Xehanort would be fine.

"He'll be fine Nadia. Xehanort's not soft like half the people here," he would constantly say to his sister.

Instead of fretting, he would tell funny jokes and recap his favorite Tokusatsu shows. Apart Nadia and Eraqus; Xehanort was also visited by Master Ansem, who checked Xehanort several times for any residual darkness damage.

Finally, after five days, Xehanort woke up fully recovered. To his surprise, he was greeted by Mentor Jensen who was sitting at his bedside.

"Welcome back Xehanort.." he said in a soft voice.

Xehanort looked over to Jensen. He couldn't help but feel a little resentment towards him for the entire incident.

"Mentor Jensen.. how long have I been out?" he asked.

"A mere five days. A rather impressive feat if I do say so myself," Jensen responded.

Xehanort snorted.

"What's so impressive about getting your ass kicked?" he asked sarcastically.

Jensen sighed. "The fact that you survived at all is alone impressive, let alone that you've made such a fast recovery," he said wearily.

He had a strained look on face and instinctively Xehanort could tell that Jensen had been genuinely worried about him. This threw Xehanort for a loop as he had thought Jensen hated him.

After an awkward period silence, Jensen finally spoke." I want to apologize for placing you in such danger. I would have never knowingly risked the life of a student, in a task that he or she wasn't capable of. I knew full well you would be capable of dealing with Shadow Heartless. I had no idea a Darkside would breach the Barrier."

Xehanort gave Jensen a questioning look.

"Heartless?" he asked.

Jensen nodded understanding his confusion. "The Heartless are physical manifestations of the darkness in people's hearts. When a person falls to darkness their heart is consumed by it. The captured heart takes on the form of a Heartless. Unlike their former selves, who are capable of conscious thought and action, the Heartless are capable of neither. They feel nothing and have no notion or sense of self. They operate purely on the instinct to capture more heart."

Xehanort nodded intrigued by Jensen's explanation.

" Are Shadows and Darkesides a type of Heartless?" he asked.

Jensen nodded. "Heartless take on various shapes and forms. Their form depends on the amount of darkness the individual had at the time of their becoming a Heartless. The more darkness a person has the stronger and more powerful their Heartless would be. The average person with the average amount of darkness would likely take on the form of a Shadow. However, those with larger amounts of darkness would take on more powerful forms, such as a Darkside."

Xehanort's mind quickly absorbed the information, committing it to memory so he could further research it later.

"What did you mean when you said a Darkside breached the barrier?" Xehanort asked.

"The Land of Departure is a unique world. It has the ability to exist in both the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness. Naturally, Master Ansem and all of his predecessors protect this would by maintaining a barrier that prevents Heartless from overrunning this world. There are however breach points in which too much of this world intersects into the Realm of Darkness. These points are given extra protection. The Pit is one of these breach points, and it's unique because despite being heavily protected Shadow Heartless are still able to manifest there whenever the presence of a human heart is present. Since only Shadows were capable of breaching that point we kept it as a training exercise for students to learn to combat the Heartless."

Jensen out a long weary sigh as a faraway look spread onto his face. "This school has used the Pit for centuries, never before has anything more then a Shadow appeared. Until you came...I shudder to think what this could possibly mean."

Xehanort analyzed everything Jensen told him. He found it all to be of considerable interest. Was it his presence that had spurred the Darkside to appear or was there more to it? It was all very intriguing.

"I know my students think of me as..."- His face scrunched into a bitter look.-"I believe 'a stiff' is Eraqus' favorite adjective. But despite my appearances, I care very deeply for my students. Particularly Nadia and Eraqus, after all, I helped raise them after their mother died. I have watched them proudly grow into fine warriors and have trained them to the best of my ability, as I have with all my students. However as much as I care for them, it is my job to teach them that this way of life is not a game. In real combat, there are life gambling ramifications for fooling around. It is my job to impress upon everyone the serious nature of combat. That is why I must maintain my strict composure...I hope you can forgive me for being so hard on you." Jensen looked down at his hands and began twiddling them nervously.

Xehanort, however, no longer held any ill feelings for the man.

"Jensen it's fine, I understand now. To be honest, I never really thought about how hard it might be, to train the ones you love to enter an occupation that might be harmful to them. You don't have to apologize, you were just doing your job," Xehanort said.

Jensen looked up and broke character, as a large smile slipped across his face. He stood up and shook Xehanort's hand. "You know the real reason I moved you into Tier One was because Master Ansem himself recommended it. He told me that your skill level was too high for the other tiers. After seeing you in action, I have to agree with the appointment."

Xehanort blushed slightly at the compliment.

"I think you're a good matchup with Eraqus and Nadia. You kind of balance out their...brash natures. It's good they have someone around that thinks things through. They seem very fond of you..particularly Nadia," Jensen said with a wink.

He prepared to leave the room pausing to say one more thing. "Xehanort, I would appreciate if you kept this conversation private...and come next lesson I will be back to my strict self."

Xehanort let out a laugh and nodded. "Sure thing Jensen."

As Mentor Jensen left the room, Xehanort could have sworn that he laughed as well.

...

It didn't take long after Jensen's departure for Nadia and Eraqus to come bounding into Xehanort's room. Xehanort suspected that Jensen wasted little time telling the pair that he was fully recovered. Nadia strangled Xehanort with a hug, and Eraqus enthusiastically clapped him on the back.

"See Nadia, I told you he would be fine," Eraqus said with his trademark grin. "I wasn't worried at all Xehanort."

Nadia shot him a dirty look.

"Yeah that's why you were saying if he didn't wake up by tomorrow, you were going to come in here and shake him awake," she said sarcastically.

Eraqus put his hands behind his head. "Well you know..." he said sheepishly.

"So, I see Mentor Jensen visited you a little while ago. What did he want?" Nadia asked in an almost bitter tone.

"He just came to apologize for placing me in danger," Xehanort responded quickly.

Nadia's expression softened. "Well at least he apologized... though I'm not too happy he placed you into that situation, to begin with."

Eraqus too wore a look of disapproval "I agree. Even for Jensen, that was rather reckless of him to throw you into the Pit during your first lesson. I don't know what the hell he was thinking."

Xehanort didn't want to bash Jensen after everything the two had discussed.

"Come on guys, Jensen was just doing his job. I was going to have to do it eventually, so why not get it out of the way at the starting gate. Besides, I was doing perfectly fine until the Darkside showed up. It's not like Jensen knew that was going to happen," he said.

Both Nadia and Eraqus considered what Xehanort said and realized he had a valid point.

"I suppose that is true," said Eraqus rather reluctantly.

"Besides, if Nadia watches my back the way she did that day, what's the worst that could have happened?" Xehanort asked with a grin.

Nadia blushed at Xehanort's comment.

"It wasn't that big a deal," she said quietly.

"It was pretty cool Nadia," Eraqus chimed in.

"So can you guys go into more detail about that Keyblade thing?" Xehanort asked.

Eraqus slapped himself on the forehead.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry Xehanort, I've been meaning to tell you about that for days," he said.

Eraqus held forth his right hand and materialized his own Keyblade. It was completely different from the one Nadia had used when she saved him.

"You mean to tell me you've had one all this time and you didn't tell me?" Xehanort asked rather grumpily.

"I told you I was sorry. But even you have to admit we've had a lot going on since you got here," Eraqus said sheepishly.

Xehanort nodded, acknowledging that the past few weeks had indeed been pretty eventful. He took a moment to analyze Eraqus' Keyblade. Like Nadia's it was in the shape of a giant key, and held a rather simple design, albeit a slightly more elegant one. The blade was dark gray and the teeth formed the shape of an elegant 'E'. The guard of the weapon had a blocked design that even the grip followed. It bore a silver and purple color scheme. The Keyblade held a Keychain that bore the same symbol that was attached to both Nadia and Eraqus' belt buckles.

Xehanort took the Keyblade from Eraqus' hand and went to examine it more closely. No sooner then it touched his hands it disappeared in a flash of light before reappearing in Eraqus' hand.

Eraqus scratched the back of his head "Sorry, Keyblades are rather picky..." he said trailing off.

Xehanort nodded a little disappointed. "How come your Keyblade is different from Nadia's?" he asked.

"All Keyblades are different, each form is unique to the wielder," Nadia chimed in.

She lifted her hands and summoned her own Keyblade. "Keyblades are mysterious weapons that chosen, few use to protect the Realm of Light. Each Keyblade is different and chooses who it's master is. Potential wielders are given the ability to wield the Keyblade through what we call the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony. From there on a potential candidate has the ability to call forth a Keyblade of their own. Should the Keyblade choose to accept them that is."

"What kind of abilities do they have? asked Xehanort.

This time, Eraqus responded. "They have a range of abilities. As the name would suggest, the most common one is the ability to open any lock. So if you're planning on robbing the Moogle Bank, a Keyblade would be a really useful thing to have," he joked.

Nadia slapped Eraqus lightly on the arm.

"Can you be serious for more than a minute," she said, laughing in spite of herself.

"Anyway, Keyblades also amplify the strength and agility of their wielders. They also give their wielder's the ability to see the world's Keyhole. In the event that those Keyholes are threatened, a Keyblade possess the power to lock them," Eraqus continued.

"What is a world's Keyhole?" asked Xehanort.

"Everything has a heart Xehanort. The worlds we live in are no different, each has its own heart. A world's Keyhole acts as a door to its heart. While that door is open, one can access the world's heart," Eraqus explained.

At his best friend's words, Xehanort had a flash of memory swept forward in his mind. Scattered image of broken worlds and massive balls of energy gathering toward each other. Xehanort knew that the images were from his dream, but so much time had passed, it was hard to recall every detail with anything other than vague clarity. Still, it was enough for Xehanort to understand why the Keyholes posed a danger.

"I personally find that the most impressive thing about a Keyblade, is their ability to allow us to access the Lanes Between, and travel to other worlds," Nadia said looking at Xehanort knowingly.

Xehanort's face lit up as he looked up at Nadia. A questioning look crossed his face.

"A Keyblade wielder's primary duty is to defend the worlds, wherever dangers presents itself. It is our sacred duty to protect the light. That means a time will come when myself and Eraqus will have to set off to other worlds to protect them."- A smirk slid across her face.-"So unless you want to get left behind, you better get started."

Eraqus smirked at Nadia's implication, liking the direction she was leading Xehanort.

Nadia's desired effect apparently worked because Xehanort immediately jumped out of bed. A determined look crossed his face as he energetically pumped his fist.

"So where do I sign up?" asked Xehanort.

Nadia returned his determined look with one of her own

"Come on let's go see my father."

* * *

A/N: Hey guy quick update my laptop has unfortunately decided it's going to be difficult. I managed to get my charger port fixed. The only problem with that is now my network adapter doesn't seem to want to work. Ordinarily, this would be too problematic as I could just type out the chapters then transfer them via flash drive. Unfortunately last night my flash drive port decided to break. Needless to say, my laptop is being difficult. So I have to shell out for a new one. I thank god that I saved my chapter outline and planning sheet before all this happened so all is not lost. On a good news note, my boss at my job is kind enough to allow me to come to the office and use the computer. As such I will be spending the day retyping the three chapters I have written for you. So on the plus side, three chapters will likely be posted today.


	10. Chapter IX: The First One Ever Forged

_"Every Keyblade master is bequeathed a Keyblade of his very own. With the passing of time, as you can imagine, more and more Keyblades were forged to be handed down. But of all Keyblades in existence, Master Xehanort's is the most ancient."_ -Young Xehanort

* * *

Master Ansem was sitting in his study doing some light reading when he was interrupted by his two children and Xehanort who abruptly barged into the room. He closed his eyes and laughed internally at the seemingly endless amounts of energy his children possessed. He wondered what sort of antics they had dragged Xehanort into this time. He opened his eyes and studied the three youths as Xehanort in particular caught his glance. One look at the determination in his eyes and Master Ansem knew exactly what it was that the trio wanted.

"So you wish to join the ranks of the Keyblade wielders?" he asked softly.

The three friends pulled on matching looks of surprise. Xehanort was the first to recover and stepped tentatively forward.

"Yes Master Ansem I wish to become a Keyblade Wielder," he said.

Master Ansem gave Xehanort a long hard look.

"The path of a Keyblade wielder is a long and arduous journey. It is a commitment that never ends and it's heritage must always be upheld. Are you prepared to uphold that prestigious legacy?" he asked.

Xehanort nodded, not a single shred of hesitation to be found in the expression he gave Master Ansem.

Master Ansem nodded in approval and stood up from his chair.

"Come with me you three," he said.

...

Master Ansem led the trio to an obscure abandoned corridor on the third floor of the castle. By looks on the sibling's faces, it seemed that even Eraqus and Nadia had never been here. Master Ansem stopped the group in front of a grand set of doors that were sealed with a giant version of the emblem that hung on both Eraqus' and Nadia's attire. Master Ansem stopped in front of the seal and pointed.

"This is Room of Legacies. It has everything a Keyblade wielder needs during the process of their training. This is the ancient emblem of the Keyblade wielder." He touched the emblem pressed against it. Immediately the seal disappeared, and the doors opened revealing a large spacious room.

The room looked like a cross between a training facility and a study. Two sets of large glass windows hung on the far wall. The room held many bookshelves, full to the brim with different volumes. The room was also decorated with various ornaments, including a large green orb that appeared to be glowing. On the opposite side of the room was a spacious sparring arena. Most impressive was what lay high on the north wall. Mounted on an ornately decorated display lay a Keyblade. The moment that the Keyblade came into Xehanort sight, a flare of familiarity surged through him.

Whereas the designs of Nadia's and Eraqus' Keyblade were rather simplistic, this Keyblade was not. It was intricately designed with a guard that comprised of demonic looking wings. The wings curved upward closing the guard by connecting to an elaborately designed goat head that bore blue eyes. Twin edges protruded from the goat and formed the blade. The two edges were inter-joined by the top of the blade, which followed the same elegant design as the teeth. The top of the blade also bore a single blue eye, and upon looking at it Xehanort was met with a sharp pain in his heart. The pain pulsed through his body and instinctively Xehanort knew it was resonating with the presence of the Keyblade. Suddenly a disembodied voice spoke to him, uttering a single word.

 _"Legion!"_ it said.

Xehanort suddenly felt Nadia's hand on his shoulder.

"Xehanort are you okay?" she asked, sounding worried.

Just as quickly as the pain arrived it disappeared. It was gone, and with no sign it had ever been there, to begin with, Xehanort wondered whether or not he imagined the entire thing. He brushed Nadia's hand off his shoulder and straightened himself.

"I'm fine Nadia...it's nothing," he said dismissively.

Nadia gave him a skeptical look that told him she didn't believe him. Even Eraqus and Master Ansem wore looks of concern.

Xehanort quickly threw on a cocky grin.

"Come on guys, I'm fine no need to get all worked up," he said, forcing himself to laugh.

Eraqus' trademark smirk slid back onto his face as Nadia slowly followed suit.

Master Ansem, however, gave Xehanort a long analyzing look. He stepped forward and snapped his fingers. A bright glow suddenly surrounded the mount as the entire thing flew off the wall and floated down to their level. He took the Keyblade and tossed it to Xehanort. Xehanort could feel no power surging through the blade. It felt like it was missing something, that it's source of power lay elsewhere. Despite that, it still felt right in his hand and Xehanort couldn't deny the pull he felt towards it. He reluctantly set it back in its proper place.

Master Ansem turned to the trio and spoke.

"In ancient times, people of the united world believed that light was a gift from an unseen land by the name of Kingdom Hearts. The people loved the light, but eventually, they began to fight over its ownership. However, Kingdom Hearts was safely protected. To circumvent this protection man created the first Keyblades," he explained.

Master Ansem brushed his hand lightly over the Keyblade.

"The Keyblade wielders fought in a legendary war that resulted in the entire world being swallowed by the darkness. In the midst of that crisis, Kingdom Hearts was lost to darkness never to be seen again. However, all hope was not lost. Deep within the hearts of the children of the world light was still present. Using this light, the world was restored. However, when the world was restored, it separated into many smaller worlds. Following the division of the worlds, the remaining Keyblade wielders decided to use the Keyblade to protect what little remained of the light."

Xehanort snuck a glance at Eraqus and Nadia. By the looks of it, they had heard this story many times over. However amidst their look was partial confusion, as if there was more to the tale than what was being told.

As Master Ansem continued to speak, Xehanort returned his attention back to him.

"Every Keyblade wielder is forged their very own Keyblade. As the ages have gone on, countless Keyblades have been continuously forged to be passed on to each new wielder. But of all the Keyblades in existence, this Keyblade is the first one ever forged." He waved a handed towards the ancient Keyblade. "Though it's power died with its master long ago, for some reason it still has the ability to be used in the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony. As a sort of tradition, every so often instead of our own Keyblades, we use this one to induct new wielders into our fold. It is quite a prestigious honor."

Suddenly Master Ansem held forth his hand and summoned his own Keyblade. It was an elegant gold embroidered blade with a dark blue guard. Where the teeth would normally lay, was a star-shaped crystal that made up the edge of the blade. Master Ansem pointed the Keyblade at Xehanort.

"Xehanort, I want to give you the chance to earn such an opportunity. In three weeks time, you will face me in one-on-one combat. If you manage to defeat me, I will not only perform the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony, but I will grant you the honor of having it done with this Keyblade." He pointed to the ancient Keyblade that lay on the mount behind him before turning to Nadia, and Eraqus.

"The three of you have my permission to use this room to study and train. Nadia, Eraqus...teach Xehanort all that you can. If you truly believe that Xehanort has a destiny amongst our ranks then show me! I hope the three of you put your best effort forth!" he said passionately.

He did a slight flourish with his Keyblade before he dematerialized it. He then snapped his finger and the mount holding the ancient Keyblade flew back onto the wall and reattached itself. Master Ansem then swept from the room, leaving the trio to figure out how to proceed.

* * *

A/N: Rewriting a chapter that's already written but can't be transferred is a torturous experience. But the show must go on right. Anyway, we are making nice progress. Only three chapters left in the Land of Departure arc before we take off to new worlds and new adventures. I have some really fun cool worlds picked out that I think you all will enjoy. Each world has a cool story to tell and it's going to be a blast. Hope you all are enjoying the story please review.


	11. Chapter X:The Inheritance Ceremony

_"In your hand, take this Key. So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be._

 _And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then._

 _No more borders around, or below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love." -Terra to Riku_

* * *

Over the course of the next three weeks an unusual quiet had swept over the castle. It was not something anyone in the castle had experienced in the last nineteen years. The moment the little blonde ball of hyper energy known as Nadia was born, silence became quite the luxury within the castle. Four years later the second child of Master Ansem was born. After Eraqus came into the picture any semblance of peace and quiet anyone had managed to find soon became nothing more than a nostalgic memory.

As they got older the duo became a force that was recognized by the entire castle. Whether they were wiping the floor with the other students, or playing practical jokes on Mentor Jensen. Inside or out, for better or for worse, Nadia and Eraqus were a constantly felt presence within the castle. So when the castle became suddenly became plagued by silence, needless to say, it had everyone talking. The students, the serving staff, even the Mentors whispered among themselves, wondering why there was a sudden lack of Nadia and Eraqus. Eventually is was publicly announced that Xehanort was set to face Master Ansem in combat; all in order to gain the right to be inducted among the ranks of the Keyblade Wielders. Many people wondered if this news correlated with the sibling's absence. Meanwhile, if anyone happened upon the abandoned corridor, they would hear that all the noise that was usually spread throughout the castle was now being concentrated in one room. It was there Nadia, Eraqus, and Xehanort had spent the past three weeks in non-stop training.

...

Xehanort swiftly dodged Nadia's strike and brought his Malice Blades up in time to block the incoming attack that Eraqus had launched at him. However just as quickly, Nadia jabbed her Keyblade and poked Xehanort hard in the ribs.

"Not fast enough Xehanort! Defend and react, you will not be afforded hesitation by my father," Nadia strictly instructed.

Nadia and Eraqus jumped backward, using their Keyblades, they materialized numerous balls of light based energy. They swung their Keyblades, hitting them all at once towards Xehanort. Xehanort quickly activated the Raging Storm technique that his father once taught him. Xehanort rushed forward, closing the gap between him and his opponents. His Raging Storm summoned forth three large columns of fire the swirled rapidly around him, completely absorbed the blows of the incoming light orbs. This allowed Xehanort to get in close and send Eraqus flying. Nadia in retaliation cast a powerful Aeroga which blew away Xehanort's protective shield. Instinctively sensing danger, Xehanort cast Reflega just in time to block a powerful Thundaga cast by Eraqus. He then jammed his blade into the ground and sent a surge of Blizzard magic towards Eraqus. The spell burst from the ground forcefully knocking Eraqus into the air and onto the floor. Without even looking, again using the same instinctual awareness, Xehanort blocked an incoming strike from Nadia and sent her flying towards her brother with a strike of his own. Xehanort's friends lay there in a heap, raised their Keyblades in surrender. Xehanort dematerialized his Ethereal Blades and headed over to check Nadia and Eraqus for injuries.

This was how the last three weeks had been spent by the trio. Eraqus and Nadia had all their time and energy giving Xehanort a crash course in anything that would help him defeat their father. From advanced magic techniques to advanced physical attacks. Nadia and Eraqus had taught Xehanort nearly everything in their arsenal. Using the massive archive in the Room of Legacies, they discovered several other techniques that even the two siblings were not aware of. Among those techniques, the three learned of the ability to morph their weapons into different shapes. This led to various transformations that Keyblade and Xehanort's Ethereal Blades were capable of performing. Finally, they taught Xehanort their family technique; Light Burst Chains a powerful light based attack that was capable of dealing devastating damage to an enemy, and also had the ability to seal powerful enemies.

Xehanort, Eraqus, and Nadia had relentlessly trained to ensure that Xehanort's skills were up to snuff. Even so, the task before them still seemed like a huge wall to climb. The three friends sat on the floor back to back to back, each filled with extreme exhaustion.

"Do you think I'm ready guys?" Xehanort asked in a tired voice.

"Well you're certainly not a push over buddy," said Eraqus, wearily rubbing his sore spots.

"Dad is master Keyblade wielder but as long as you don't focus on what he can do and focus on what he's doing you'll at least stand a chance," said Nadia, sounding equally tired.

"Thanks, guy, I think at this point we've done all we can to prepare. I think we should get some rest..." said Xehanort, as his head rolled back and he drifted into sleep.

Right where they lay, the three friends fell asleep against each other. They didn't even bother to move to the cushions. They simply slept in unison, comforted only by the close bond that had become their friendship.

...

It was Nadia who gently woke Xehanort up the next morning.

"Xehanort, it's time to wake up. I brought you some breakfast," she said softly.

Xehanort lifted his head as the scent of freshly cooked bacon and eggs wafted to his nose. He stood up and took the plate.

"Come take a walk with me," said Nadia.

The two friends roamed the halls, while Xehanort began quietly eating his food.

"So how are you feeling Xehanort?" Nadia asked.

Xehanort finished his plate and tossed it into a nearby garbage. He thought for a moment about how he felt with the fight of his life a mere few hours away.

"When I set out... the morning I left the Islands. I was overwhelmed with the feeling that my entire life was leading up to that day, the moment when I dived through that portal the feeling was overwhelming. I kinda feel like that right now. It's like... once more I've found myself at the crossroads of destiny," said Xehanort.

"It's okay to be nervous Xehanort," said Nadia in response.

Nadia stopped walking and took Xehanort's hands into her own. "I just want you to know regardless of what happens, I want you to know that I'm proud of what you've accomplished in this past couple of weeks. Not many people are capable of mastering all that you have in such short a notice. Use that same determination today and I have no doubt you'll succeed."

Xehanort gazed deep into her eyes, grateful for all the support.

"Even if things don't work out today, I'm willing to help you until you succeed...and I'm sure Eraqus feels the same," said Nadia, adding that last bit in rather quickly.

"Nadia thank you...I won't let you or Eraqus down!" said Xehanort passionately.

...

All the students and Mentors gathered themselves in the courtyard where Xehanort was scheduled to face off against Master Ansem. In the center of the crowd, Master Ansem stood waiting patiently for Xehanort to arrive. Instead of his usual elegant attire, he wore a crimson red battle armor. Xehanort arrived on the scene flanked on each side by Nadia and Eraqus. He turned to his two friends and gave them a determined nod before joining Master Ansem in the center of the crowd. Master Ansem lifted his hands and erected a magical barrier to both protect the crowd and prevent anyone from interfering.

"Xehanort! You stand before a gathering of your peers with the desire to join the prestigious ranks of the Keyblade warriors. Prove yourself to me before your peers and your wish will be granted. Let there be no more words. Let your feelings shown in combat speak for themselves. Begin!" he said, summoning forth his Keyblade.

Xehanort materialized his twin Ethereal Blades and rushed forward, launching a volley of extremely powerful strikes. Master Ansem calmly met each blow, parrying them with strikes of his own. He flourished his Keyblade and punched the air. A percussive blast of air rippled from his fist and knocked Xehanort into the air. Xehanort twisted his body and managed to land on his feet. Without hesitation, he continued his offense by casting multiple Firaga Bursts and aiming them at Master Ansem. The Firaga Bursts headed towards Master Ansem, prepared to explode on impact. Master Ansem held his Keyblade into the air and cast the Faith spell. A dozen pillars of light surrounded the Master and spiraled outward. The pillars easily destroyed the Firaga Bursts and crashed into Xehanort, knocking him into the barrier. Xehanort quickly got up and jumped into the air swinging both of his blades in a downward arc. Master Ansem quickly warped out of harms' way and cast a powerful Salvation spell. Xehanort was knocked into the air by the powerful pillars of light that erupted from the ground. With inhuman speed Master Ansem warped into the air and slammed Xehanort with his Keyblade, knocking him back to the ground.

Managing to land on his feet, Xehanort was forced to quickly cast Reflega and block a powerful Meteor that Master Ansem had sent from above. Master Ansem landed swiftly on the ground and charged at Xehanort, striking heavily in a downward arc. Xehanort blocked the strike and dodge rolled under his next attack. Using the slight opening Xehanort quickly cast Stopga on Master Ansem temporarily freezing him. However, the spell was far too weak to keep the Master still for long as he easily broke free. However, Xehanort surprised Master Ansem by using the opportunity to get some offense in. He quickly warped around the Master and landed a dozen powerful blows that brought him to his knees. Master Ansem gave Xehanort a look of surprise.

"Yeah! Xehanort keep it up!" Eraqus shouted.

The audience let out a loud cheer as things suddenly looked in Xehanort's favor. Master Ansem however merely smirked and nodded at Xehanort in acknowledgment. Suddenly he narrowed his eyes and charged energy into his Keyblade. Xehanort cast Reflega as Master Ansem shot a powerful blast of light at him. The blast completely shattered Xehanort's Reflega and landed a devastating blow that knocked him backward several feet.

Master Ansem smiled in satisfaction.

"Just submit Xehanort, you are clearly outmatched. There is no shame in forfeiting to a superior opponent," he said.

Suddenly Nadia and Eraqus stepped forward, pressing themselves against the barrier they continued to cheer Xehanort on.

"Xehanort don't give up!" shouted Eraqus.

"We believe in you!" cheered Nadia.

At their words, Xehanort felt a burst of strength flow through him. It was as if Nadia and Eraqus were standing beside him, channeling their power and adding it to his own. He could almost feel their hands on his shoulders, supporting him to the very end. Xehanort stood up and readied himself. He refused to let his friends down without giving it everything he had.

Xehanort began charging his blades, absorbing the light energy around him, channeling it into the technique that Nadia and Eraqus had taught him. He swung his blades and launched the Light Burst Chain attack at Master Ansem. The Master's eyes widened in surprise as the chains wrapped around him. He quickly broke the chains and aimed a strike at Xehanort. However, Xehanort was no longer in sight. Xehanort had used the opportunity to cast Vanish rendering himself temporarily invisible. He quickly moved behind Master Ansem and knocked his feet from under him. Reappearing, Xehanort kicked Master Ansem's Keyblade from his hand and pointed his blade at the Master's chest.

A wave of silence spread over the crowd that of course was broken by Nadia and Eraqus.

"He did it!" they both shouted simultaneously.

Everyone in the crowd broke into applause. Even Mentor Jensen broke into an excited applause, his strict composure all but forgotten.

Xehanort extended his hand to Master Ansem who readily accepted it.

"You've done well Xehanort, it seems my children's faith in you is not misplaced," Master Ansem said, smiling warmly and shaking Xehanort's hand. "Come, we shall perform the ceremony in an hour's time."

With that, he led Xehanort and the others to the Ceremony Room.

...

The Mentors stood in rows along each side of the stage where Xehanort kneeled. At their head was Nadia on one side and Eraqus on the other side. Each of them held a torch as they waited for Master Ansem. Finally, Master Ansem arrived, holding in his hands the first forged Keyblade. He walked slowly with purpose before stopping before the kneeled Xehanort.

"Rise, my son," he said.

Xehanort rose, bringing himself to full height.

"Xehanort you have proved yourself brave, intelligent, and strong of heart. You have taken the limitations given to you and reached far beyond them."

Xehanort chanced a look at Nadia and Eraqus. Eraqus threw him a reassuring grin, while Nadia tossed him a sly wink.

"Today you will take the next step in breaking your limitations. It is my deepest pleasure to induct you into the rank of the Key Bearers. Should the Keyblade accept you as it's wielder, I hope you will continue to honor the prestige and heritage of our fold. I will now grant you the ability to wield this mighty weapon."

Master Ansem held the blade end of the ancient Keyblade and offered the other end to Xehanort.

"In your hand take this Key. So long as you have the making, then through this simple act of taking, it's wielder you shall one day be. On that day no ocean shall contain you. No border around, above or below will hold you. So long as you champion the ones you love."

Xehanort grabbed the grip of the ancient blade and immediately felt a surge of power flow through him as the Keyblade glowed momentarily.

Master Ansem raised Xehanort's hand into the air as everyone applauded. "I now welcome you. Xehanort, our newest Keyblade apprentice!"

...

Unbeknownst to everyone, in a hidden room within Master Ansem's study, the mysterious page that Xehanort brought with him from the islands changed once more. A new paragraph wrote itself onto the ancient page.

 _"Xehanort walks down the path of destiny and takes the mark of the Key Bearer._

 _His path to the waiting Legion will be marked by the presence of the lost pieces._

 _A plot to open the door will lead to loss of the first piece._

 _Three will journey to face the growing darkness._

 _Two opposites will close the door._

 _One's fate is sealed."_

* * *

A/N: This chapter was fun to write (At least it was the first time lol). We get to see a sample of what Master Ansem is capable of as well as showing off a bit of Nadia and Eraqus in combat. Something to take note of. There is a huge significance in Master Xehanort's Keyblade being able to be used in the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony despite its master being long gone so. There is a clue in prophecy at the end of the chapter.


	12. Chapter XI: Heartless Ascending

_"The Heartless have a great fear of the Keyblade. That's why they'll keep coming after you no matter what!"_ -Squall Leonhart

* * *

In the middle of the night, while the rest of the castle lay in deep slumber, Xehanort stood alone wide awake within the Room of Legacies. He wore a look of deep concentration and repeatedly lifted his right hand for long periods of time. When nothing would happen he would put his hand back down and let out a sigh of frustration. To an outsider looking in the scenario would look very odd. However, those who knew Xehanort intimately knew that he trying to accomplish what he had failed to for the past six weeks; materialize his Keyblade. It had become an obsession completely consuming Xehanort's free time.

To add to his anxiety, Xehanort had recently become plagued with nightmares about the Heartless. In these dreams the Heartless appeared in various shapes and size, amassing in a large quantity. The Heartless were all banging loudly against an invisible barrier, all of them trying to claw their way to Xehanort. Each time this dream occurred the Heartless came closer and closer to breaking the barrier. Each time Xehanort would always awake at the last minute drenched in cold sweat, the sound of Heartless' relentless banging still ringing in the distance. Xehanort didn't know whether these dreams had any real world ramifications, but they still scared him. This slight fear only spurred Xehanort further in his desire to materialize his Keyblade. So Xehanort resolved to dedicate his nights attempting to call it forth. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, Xehanort wearily packed up his stuff and headed to the day's lessons. As he did, he could not help but feel a deep sense of foreboding that had wormed its way into his head.

...

When Xehanort arrived at Mentor Jensen's swordplay lesson with deep bags under his eyes, Nadia and Eraqus gave each other matching looks of worry. They knew immediately that Xehanort had pulled another all-nighter.

"Geesh Xehanort, you look like crap," said Eraqus.

Nadia gave Eraqus a sharp punch in the arm.

"Ouch, I was just being honest," he said, groaning in slight pain.

Nadia gave her brother a stern look that softened as she began fretting over Xehanort. She reached into her bag and pulled out a canister of coffee. She gave it to Xehanort and began fixing his jacket, which Xehanort had tiredly put it on inside out.

Eraqus looked at Xehanort as he drank his coffee, a slight look of annoyance crossing his face.

"Hey no fair, where's my coffee?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

Nadia reached once more into her bag and pulled another canister of coffee out alongside a wrapped burrito.

"I didn't forget you, little bro. I even brought your favorite breakfast wrap. Eggs, sausage, bacon, peppers, onions, and a sprig of hot sauce," she said, handing the wrap over to her brother.

"Famks Madia," said Eraqus, his mouth already stuffed with the burrito.

Satisfied, she turned to Xehanort.

"As for you mister, you're going to take an hour nap after today's lesson. No excuses, no complaining, and no whining."

Xehanort shrugged, knowing far better than to argue with her.

She winked at the two boys.

"What would you two do without me?" she asked with a knowing smirk.

With that she flounced over to her sparring partner as Mentor Jensen sternly announced the start of the lesson.

"Well at least she has point, what would we do without her?" said Xehanort, handing Eraqus a practice blade.

"I'd imagine that my socks would be a lot less clean and my stomach a lot less full," said Eraqus sheepishly.

Xehanort gave Eraqus a skeptical look as they began their footing exercises.

"Okay, I would have stomach less full of things actually good for me," said Eraqus with a laugh.

"That sounds much better," Xehanort said, laughing as well.

The two boys finished their warm-ups and began practicing Mentor Jensen's new sword routines. As the practiced the new techniques Xehanort decided to voice the concern that had preoccupied him for the past six weeks.

"Hey Eraqus, why do you think I can't materialize my Keyblade?" asked Xehanort

"Honestly Xehanort, I think you're pushing yourself too hard. Keyblades are picky about their owners. They will materialize when the moment is right and not a moment sooner. It took me two months before I was able to materialize mine," Eraqus responded.

"Really?" asked Xehanort.

"Yeah, Nadia took even longer than that apparently," Eraqus said reassuringly.

Xehanort suddenly felt much lighter, as if a lot of pressure had suddenly been lifted off his shoulders.

"So do you think if I just let things take their natural course that things will speed things up or should I do something to 'prove' myself worthy," Xehanort said in an excited ramble.

"Xehanort, you're overthinking it again," said Eraqus wearing a look torn between amusement and annoyance. "Honestly, I'm surprised your brain doesn't explode from all the thinking you do."

This remark reminded Xehanort so forcefully of his father that Xehanort had to do a double-take to make sure it wasn't him that said it. He suddenly burst out in laughter at the fact that his father would have told him the same thing that Eraqus and Nadia had been telling him for the past couple of weeks. Xehanort always had trouble dealing with variables that lay beyond his control. This sudden reminder of his father made him realize that the Keyblade's appearance was just one of those variables. He needed to accept that it would appear when it was ready. Trying to force the issue was only going to drive him crazy.

"You're right Eraqus," said Xehanort suddenly.

"I am?"-Eraqus raised his eyebrows in surprise-"I mean, of course, I am. I'm just not used to you agreeing so quickly."

"You know I think I will take that hour nap Nadia suggested, some relaxation isn't sounding so bad right now," said Xehanort thoughtfully.

Eraqus face suddenly perked up, a sudden idea sprouting in his head. "How about me, you and Nadia take the day off tomorrow. We can go to the beach, I know Nadia has been dying to go for a while now."

"Do you think Master Ansem would allow that?" asked Xehanort. "Plus I'm kinda desensitized by the beach, growing up on the Islands kinda does that to you..."

"Sure, the Master...I mean Dad, he might be strict but even he recognizes the need for time to 'recuperate the mind, and refresh the body'. At least that's his lame way of saying it's sometimes okay to have fun." explained Eraqus. "Then again I don't ever recall my father going to the beach...can you imagine my father trying to get a tan?"

Xehanort smirked, laughing slightly at the very idea of Master Ansem lying on some beach trying to catch some rays.

"So are you down?" asked Eraqus, he turned and stole a glance at his sister. "I think Nadia was telling me about impressing some guys with her new bikini."

Eraqus smirked knowingly as he watched his best friend almost choke in response.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Xehanort asked in a lot harsher tone than he had meant to.

Eraqus shrugged nonchalantly.

"Nothing, just wondering how many muscle heads might try to chat her up. If only she had another guy to talk to besides her brother...oh well I suppose those other guys will have to do," said Eraqus slyly, pausing to watch the effects of his words

Xehanort sputtered, struggling to spit out a coherent sentence. Fortunately, he was spared from answering by Mentor Jensen who came over and slapped the pair in the back of their heads.

"Pardon me for interrupting your clearly stimulating conversation but I believe you have a lesson that you would do well to pay attention to," he said sternly

"Sorry Mentor, it won't happen again," said Eraqus sheepishly rubbing his sore head.

However, he grinned in victory, as Xehanort mouthed he would join him tomorrow before the two friends returned to their training.

...

Surprisingly enough, Eraqus had been right about how accepting Master Ansem would be about the trio taking a day off. As it turned out Master Ansem had taken note of how stressed Xehanort had been over the course of the past couple of weeks, and had been days away from forcing Xehanort to take a personal day. So hours later Xehanort found himself lying in his bed trying to wind down enough to got sleep. He thought about the day's events and all the people who had his back here at Land of Departure. Master Ansem, Mentor Jensen, especially Nadia and Eraqus. Ever since he arrived each of them looking out for his best interest in some way. The thought of how fortunate he was soothed his mind, relaxing him. Xehanort put his head down on the pillow and drifted into an easy sleep. His last thought was how much he was looking forward to a normal beach day. Yes, tomorrow would be a normal and peaceful day. Xehanort drifted into slumber with no inkling how wrong he was about to be.

...

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Xehanort stood close to the barrier that Master Ansem had erected, the only thing securing the world from the invading Heartless. On the other side of the barrier, Heartless had begun amassing in numbers that Xehanort had never seen in any of his previous dreams. Countless of Shadows, numerous amounts of Neoshadows, and plenty of Darkballs; all of them hammering against the barrier with desperation.

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Xehanort's fear began to mount as the Heartless seemingly futile efforts began to bear fruit. A tiny crack appeared in the barrier that was steadily growing larger. Xehanort tried to summon his Aura Weapons, perhaps he could stop them. But Xehanort found he could not move, paralyzed he was forced to watch as the Heartless relentlessly attacked the barrier.

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Suddenly an enormous Darkside Heartless appeared amongst their ranks. Xehanort's fear was suddenly paramount, as the Darkside raised it gigantic fist and swung.

 _BANG!_

The crack in the barrier grew significantly as the Darkside hit it with devastating force.

 _BANG!_

The crack further increased in size crumbling under the sheer power of the Darkside's blows.

 _BANG!_

Xehanort could only stare in horror as the Darkside completely shattered the barrier into a million pieces. A single Shadow hopped forward, crawling past where the barrier once stood. At first, it just stood there, then it's antennas twitched in the direction of the castle, the other Heartless also repeated this behavior. Then suddenly they charged, all of them surging forward, towards the feast of hearts that awaited them in the castle. Then out of nowhere the Darkside grabbed him and pulled Xehanort to its eye level. As drew Xehanort closer he could hear it speak his mind.

 _"Xehanort! Xehanort! MY LIEGE XEHANORT!"_

Then the dark creature swallowed him whole, the banging of the Heartless pouring through the barrier still ringing in his ear.

...

"Xehanort!"- _BANG!-_ "Xehanort!"- _BANG!-"_ XEHANORT!"- _BANG!_ "

Xehanort awoke abruptly to Nadia desperately shaking him, trying to force him to wake up. Eraqus, Master Ansem, and Mentor Jensen stood beside her, outside the door looked to be a swarming mixture of students, Mentors, and staff. Xehanort looked at the people in his room, each wore matching looks of fear and worry.

"What's going on Nadia?" asked Xehanort in trepidation.

"Xehanort..the Heartless, we don't know how. They broke through the barrier... Xehanort there is so many of them..." said Nadia in a clearly shaken voice.

Xehanort looked towards Master Ansem.

"How did this happen?" he asked.

Master Ansem looked solemnly at Xehanort.

"I don't know, but I have sensed the Heartless growing stronger for the past couple of months. I,"- _Bang!_ The entire castle shook interrupting the Master.-"I don't know what the cause is but there is no doubt about it. The forces of darkness are rising," he said softly.

Xehanort looked at the people in the room, the people out in the hall, all waiting in fear. All of these people who Xehanort had come to look at like a second family. He looked at Nadia, then Eraqus, and finally at Mentor Jensen and Master Ansem.

"Can we stop them? Or are we just going to let these monster take our home?" asked Xehanort, his voice brimming with determination.

 _BANG!_ Another large tremble shook the castle.

After a moment's pause Eraqus, and Nadia broke into matching grins. Master Ansem nodded in gratitude; Mentor Jensen's mouth twitched at the corners, almost forming a smile but keeping his composure.

"See, I told you Xehanort would fight with us!" said Eraqus, who was now in full confidence they stood a chance. "Now let's go out there out there and kick some Heartless ass!"

The group all nodded in unison.

"Mentors come in here!" ordered Master Ansem.

The Mentors all filed quickly into the room.

"Divide the older students into groups, we're fighting! Send all of the younger children into the Safeguard Room. Marshal the rest students and attack the lesser threats. Myself, Mentor Jensen, Nadia, Xehanort, and Eraqus will handle the most powerful Heartless. Today is not the day I give up my home!" shouted Master Ansem passionately.

"Sir, yes, sir!" the Mentors shouted in response.

 _Bang!_ The castle shook once more.

Master Ansem turned to Jensen.

"Jensen my brother, shall we fight together once more?" asked Master Ansem

"It would be just like old times my friend," replied Jensen with a smirk.

"In the old times I recall we almost died... a lot," said Master Ansem

"To be fair most of those times were instigated by you trying to show off for Pamela," said Jensen.

"Ah..I forget the details," Master Ansem said with a laugh.

 _BANG!_

"Xehanort, Nadia, Eraqus why don't we show that Darkside why it's rude to knock on someone's door this late at night.

...

The Heartless were everywhere, their vast numbers pouring into the Land of Departure. They instinctively sought out more hearts to capture and gravitated towards the plethora of people in the castle. Fortunately, Master Ansem had sensed their presence in a timely fashion. This allowed him to erect a shield around the castle. The shield was far more concentrated, giving it much more strength than the now damaged world barrier. While the other Heartless gathered around the castle gate, a large Darkside was currently battering at the door, trying to break down the barrier.

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

The Darkside repeatedly drove his fist into the barrier with force the made the entire castle shake. The surrounding Heartless twitched in anticipation; the instinct to capture more hearts _,_ the feast of hearts that awaited beyond the castle's barrier, it made them all the more eager.

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

The Darkside continued to pound the barrier, eager to reach the hearts within its walls. It pulled it's massive fists back, rearing itself to deliver another massive blow. Suddenly it found it's hands wrapped with what appeared to be a white-blue rope of Ethereal energy. The ropes belonged to Xehanort who transfigured his Ethereal Blades into ropes and used them to bind the hands of the Darkside.

"Hey! Do you have any idea what time it is? People are trying to sleep you know!" Xehanort called from the balcony above.

The Darkside's head twitched as it leered towards Xehanort; the other Heartless quivered in excitement, the presence of a new heart greatly arousing them. Xehanort returned the Heartless' look with a smirk his own. With a deft swiftness, he vaulted high over the Darkside's head and used his ropes to drag it down using his momentum as a counterweight. With no way to resist the Darkside had no choice but to succumb to gravity. It fell backward with a giant crash, squashing numerous amounts of it's Heartless brethren. At that moment Eraqus and Nadia jumped from the balcony, materialized their Keyblades, and delivered two powerful slashes. The Darkside quivered momentarily on the ground before exploding into dust.

The surviving Heartless were temporarily stunned, each looking at the spot where their large comrade stood moments before. The temporary distraction was followed by roaring determination of the students and mentors who opened the doors of the castle and charged out. The group divided into five, each led by a Mentor. The five groups spread out and began routing the enemy. Xehanort, Eraqus, and Nadia then found themselves joined by Master Ansem and Mentor Jensen. Two more Darksides lumbered to the forefront of the battle heading directly for the five warriors. Master Ansem and Mentor Jensen summoned their respective Keyblades.

"Xehanort, Nadia, Eraqus! It's time to put all you've learned to practical use," said Master Ansem, also giving Jensen a slight nod.

The group nodded in understanding and rushed forward to attack.

"Nadia! Eraqus! Grab a hold!" shouted Xehanort.

He transformed his Ethereal Weapons into long whips. Nadia and Eraqus each grabbed onto one as Xehanort swung them with all his strength and launched the pair into the air. Eraqus raised his Keyblade into the air and summoned forth a volley of meteors down towards the one of the Darksides. Nadia warped around the same Darkside attacking it with a light based series of slashes. Xehanort shot bursts of Ethereal energy from his blades causing the Darkside to stumble backward. Master Ansem summoned a powerful tornado that lifted the giant Heartless twenty feet into the air. Mentor Jensen finished the helpless Heartless by blasting it with a devastating Mega Flare of such power that the proceeding explosion lit up the entire night's sky and simulated actual daylight.

Eraqus looked at the explosion in awe, an impressed look crossing his face.

"Damn Jensen overkill much? I'm probably going to have to think twice before putting itching powder in your shoes next time," he said.

"I knew that was you!" Jensen cried with a look bordering on amusement and irritation.

Before Jensen could further reprimand Eraqus, the second Darkside made it's presence know by launching it's fist at the two. Xehanort managed to project a Reflega shield around them just before the Heartless landed its blow.

"Enough chatting, more fighting," Xehanort scolded.

The two nodded and turned their attention back to the battle. Xehanort slammed his Ethereal Blades into the ground and activated a powerful Quake attack causing the Darkside to stumble as jagged bursts of earth based energy sprouted from the ground. Nadia and Eraqus flanked the Heartless on it's left and right sides, shooting their signature Light Burst Chain attack, immediately trapping it in chains of light energy that rendered the Darkside immobile . Master Ansem and Mentor Jensen then transformed their Keyblades into giant cannons and blasted the Darkside into oblivion. The surrounding students and Mentors cheered rallying behind the five. Each group increased their efforts motivated by the five powerful warriors who led them into battle. Shadows were sliced by the numerous blades of the student's swords. Neoshadows sniped at a distance by blasters and arrows. Darkballs fell to the ground by the powerful magic of the Mentors. Darksides slain by the combined efforts of Master Ansem, Mentor Jensen, Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus. The Heartless' numbers were rapidly decreasing by the minute. Everyone began pushing back the front lines closer and closer to the Pit, all of them trying to give Master Ansem a chance to close the hole from which the Heartless invaded. Finally, they all managed to push the Heartless threat back to the Pit, creating a huge opening.

"Jensen! Nadia! Eraqus! Now!" shouted Master Ansem.

The four Keyblade Wielders pointed their Keyblades at the breach point, obliterating all the remaining Heartless, and closing the giant hole in the barrier.

There was a loud cheer of exhaustion and victory as everyone collapsed in the relief of having stopped the Heartless invasion.

* * *

A/N: Welcome back guys. I know it's been a while since I updated but I assure you I have not abandoned you! I took a short hiatus for two simple reasons. The first is I have been going through a lot in my personal life and motivation was kind of low. The second is because I've been holding off a little bit to keep track of the ever updating story for Kingdom Hearts Chi/Unchained Chi. One of my priorities with this story is to try and keep it within the confines the canon story, while still putting my own creative spin on it. As it turns out I have seemingly little to worry about (At least for now *points finger at Nomura*) the details fit perfectly well with the new story details. In fact, they fit a little too well, which I suppose isn't too surprising considering how knowledgeable I am when it comes to Kingdom Hearts lore. At any rate, I reward your patience with an extra long chapter(over 3000 words!). I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out. Some of you might have even got a sneak peak after I accidentally uploaded a part it when editing another chapter. But we're finally getting some real action and I hope you enjoy the battle I've put together. There is one more chapter for Land of Departure and then we will officially jump into the next world! Hope you guys are ready I have some great stuff planned! As always reviewing helps, enjoy.


	13. Chapter XII: The Lanes Between

_"At present, the lanes and corridors that run between the worlds may only be traversed by us Keyblade wielders, and those who have given themselves over to darkness. As the former, our duty is to cross the chasms between the worlds and guard against the latter, whose darkness corrupts and contaminates, so that no world need ever be lost again."-Master Xehanort_

* * *

The six mentors, and Master Ansem, had all convened in the early hours of the morning. Following the aftermath of the Heartless invasion, the council members were tense with worry.

"I now bring this council meeting to order!" said Master Ansem emphatically

Five of the mentors immediately broke into panicked babble; Mentor Jensen sat silent an almost amused look painted on his face.

"Silence!" ordered Master Ansem. "Despite the circumstances, you will hold yourselves with the decorum of your positions, speak in turn!"

Master's Ansem's aura of control exerted itself over the group. The Mentors immediately calmed, recognizing the tone of their master's voice.

"Master Ansem, how did this happen?" asked Magnus, the Mentor who taught magic.

"I am not sure...However as I said before, the Heartless have been increasing in strength over the course of these past few months. I can only surmise they finally reached a high enough level of power to breach the barrier," explained Master Ansem

"How is that even possible? The Heartless have docile for generations! We've never had this problem before," said Avery, the Ranged Weapons Mentor

"Do not forget how close this world is to the darkness Avery. We may enjoy the comforts of the Realm of Light, but the Land of Departure exists just as much within the Realm of Darkness," said Alastor, the Battle Tactics Mentor.

"That doesn't change the fact nothing like this has ever happened before. Regardless of the Land of Departure's state as an Inbetween World, never before have the Heartless been this aggressive," said Tessai the Stealth and Espionage Mentor.

"Well I for one think we should forget about how it happened and focus on what we're going to do about it," said Dreidall the Defensive Coordinator and Chief Scientist.

"And what do you suppose we 'do about it' Dreidall?" asked Avery sarcastically.

"Something is better then nothing! If the forces of darkness are indeed getting stronger, then we need to find out if this widespread or an isolated incident," Dreidall responded with an equal amount of sarcasm.

"Perhaps we should send a should send a scouting party. One to investigate the other worlds," suggested Tessai.

"That is actually a pretty sound idea Tessai," said Jensen breaking his observant silence. "At the very least we might gain a better idea of what's going on."

"I'm glad you approve Jensen, but the question is who do we send?" Tessai asked in response.

"Master Ansem, why don't you and a couple of us go?" asked Avery.

"Ridiculous, we cannot afford to send any of the council members with the loom of Heartless invasions over our head. You would have us send Master Ansem and half our number away? Who would defend this world then?" asked Magnus indignantly.

"I think the answer is obvious," said Jensen, the other council members turned to him expectantly. "We should send our strongest students. Ones who have the experience and power to deal with the threats the outside worlds might present." Jensen folded his hands together. "I propose we send Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus."

The council immediately broke in loud argument that only stopped Master Ansem slammed his fist on the table.

"One at a time! There will be order at this meeting!" shouted Master Ansem.

"Master Ansem, we cannot let your heirs be subjugated to such tasks. They are only children," said Avery.

"Nonsense! Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus are our most powerful pupils. The only three to have reached rank Keyblade Apprentice in thirty years. Children they might be, but they could easily match some of the people in this room in skill," said Jensen with a pointed look at Avery.

Avery sneered, clearly annoyed at Jensen's implication.

"Nadia and Eraqus yes; The boy, no. What has he accomplished on his own?" asked Avery.

"I beg to differ Avery, the boy has certainly shown remarkable skill. Not to mention, his intelligence makes him an even more formidable force. Did you not witness him best Master Ansem in combat? I think he's accomplished plenty," said Alastor.

"Be that as it may I don't trust the boy," Avery said harshly.

"What reason has the boy given us to distrust him, all of my interactions with him have been quite pleasant. As Alastor has said, Xehanort is exceptionally bright. Would Nadia, and Eraqus not benefit from having him around?" asked Magnus.

"Really... am I the only one who has made the correlation?" asked Avery

"Just spit it out Avery, it's obvious you're dying to say something," said Alastor.

"The rising darkness, the sudden growth in the Heartless' power. All of it corresponds with the boy's arrival in Land of Departure. We know next to nothing about this boy. No one finds it suspicious this boy falls from the sky via Corridor of Darkness? No one finds it suspicious that upon arrival, he immediately attracts a Darkside, the same creature that broke down the barrier. No one finds it suspicious that he immediately worms his way into befriending the Master's children?" asked Avery, his tone full of accusation.

"Don't be ridiculous Avery, were you at the same battle the rest of us were? Xehanort was instrumental to that victory. If he was secretly some type of subversive, what would there to gain from helping us? Wouldn't it have benefited him for us to fall?" Jensen asked.

"I wouldn't expect you to see it Jensen!" Avery spat. "It's obvious you're very taken with the boy. Just like the Master's children. Nadia in particular seems quite...susceptible to his char-"

The implication didn't have a chance to leave his mouth. With ninja like swiftness Jensen jumped over the table knocking Avery to the floor and in an instant had his Keyblade against Avery's throat.

"Jensen!" shouted Master Ansem.

Jensen however did not immediately desist.

"If you ever speak about Nadia like that again I will cut out your tongue without a second's hesitation. Do you understand?!" Jensen asked, the fury in his voice evident in every word.

Avery looked to the others for help; no one made a move.

"I asked, do you understand?!" Jensen shouted once more.

"Y-Yes..." said Avery reluctantly.

Jensen slowly got off of Avery and returned to his spot at the table. Avery dusted himself off and sat back his spot at the table, trying to pretend that nothing happened. It was then Master Ansem spoke.

"I agree with Jensen. Xehanort has not given me any reason to mistrust him. My children might be a bit brash but they are not easily fooled. In fact I was under the impression they did the fooling," he said, smiling at the mentors, many who had been victims of the siblings pranks. "I don't believe these incidents are caused by Xehanort's doing.." Master Ansem rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Perhaps Xehanort's arrival was merely a sign that these things were to come..."

Master Ansem trailed off, deep in thought; Jensen took the opportunity to interject.

"At any rate if we are all in agreeance on sending Nadia, and Eraqus, then Xehanort is the obvious choice to accompany them. I understand we normally only allow those Keyblade Apprentices who have managed to materialize their Keyblades to traverse other worlds, but I think we can make an exception in this case. Besides considering Nadia and Eraqus'...brash natures, it's probably best they have someone who thinks before he acts to accompany them. They balance each other out," said Jensen in his usual composed manner. "So are we in agreeance?

"I think it's the smartest course of action," said Tessai.

"I have no objections," said Magnus.

"It seems like a fairly sound strategy, I vote yes," said Alastor

"In the best interest of our defense, it's probably best to send those three instead of leaving ourselves defenseless by depleting half our ranks. I vote yes," said Dreidall.

"Obviously I'm outnumbered, but let it be known that whatever goes wrong is on Jensen's head...I vote yes," said Avery rather reluctantly.

Master Ansem turned to Jensen.

"What? Obviously I vote yes considering I came up with the idea," said Jensen with a slight laugh.

"Formalities old friend," Master Ansem responded.

"Well I vote yes," said Jensen.

"It's unanimous then, I shall unlock the Lanes Between and Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus shall scout the worlds and see if they discover the cause of this growth in darkness," said Master Ansem.

"I still have some concerns, the Lanes Between are very close to the darkness. How are they supposed to protect themselves?" asked Avery.

"Actually, I'm glad you brought that up. Myself, Tessai, and Magnus have just finished developing something the that will perfectly 'suit' the occasion," offered Dreidall. "Master Ansem, Jensen...explain to them situation, then bring them to me."

As the council began to depart, Master Ansem halted the group.

"Oh and by the way Avery, if you ever speak ill of my children again...It will be my will Keyblade that will be at your throat. I think you'll find that I'm far less merciful then Jensen was."

Master Ansem waved his hand and all the council members knew they were dismissed.

...

Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus were lounging around the Room of Legacies. Each of them trying to wind down from exhausting battle they took part in. For the first time in a long time they were doing absolutely nothing, simply basking in the relief that only came with a battle's end. No words were exchanged, just the presence of each other's company was communication enough. It was their connected silence that was ironically proof that despite the fact hours prior the loom of certain death hung over their head, despite the fact that they nearly lost their home, they were still here.

The three friends basked in their pleasant silence for a few moments longer before being interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Moments afterward the door opened and in walked Master Ansem and Mentor Jensen.

"Nadia. Eraqus. I can hardly recall the last time I have heard my children so...silent," said Master Ansem softly.

Mentor Jensen nodded in agreement.

"Well you know the whole almost getting wiped out thing will do that.." said Eraqus, his tone almost angry.

"Eraqus.." Jensen started softly.

"Eraqus, nothing Jensen!" said Eraqus angrily.

Nadia put her hand on her brother's shoulders; Eraqus roughly pushed it off.

"No Nadia, we risked our lives to save everyone... and yet all he can muster up is sarcastic indifference. Some father...no you don't deserve that title," said Eraqus bitterly.

"Eraqus!" shouted Nadia harshly.

Eraqus looked at his sister, whom he cared for more then anyone; for once he held his tongue.

"So what do you want Fath-" Eraqus paused for a split second. "Master Ansem.."

Master Ansem looked at his son for a long time. Hurt, and understanding both flashed simultaneously in his eyes.

"I-I came to inform you that the time has come to for you to do your duty as Keyblade Wielders," started Master Ansem.

Jensen then took over the explanation.

"We want to discover the source of the growing darkness. Obviously we can't spare the Mentors or Master Ansem, we can't afford to leave Land of Departure unprotected. So we thought it would be best to send three of our strongest students to go scout the other worlds in our stead. We need students with the power and skills necessary to deal with any threat that may or may not be there. We need you to find out whether or not this rise in the darkness is an isolated incident or if it's spread to other worlds. Maybe we could also discover the root of the problem along the way. So in short we have decided to send you, Nadia-" said Jensen before being interrupted by Nadia.

"What about Xehanort?" she asked sounding a little more harsher then she meant.

Jensen rolled his eyes.

"I did say three did I not," said Jensen. "Besides someone has to reign the two of you in."

"Hey!" shouted the two siblings simultaneously.

Master Ansem turned to the trio, having regained his composure.

"The fact of the matter is that you three are the only ones with the skills and power to handle a task of this caliber. As such there was no clearer choice as to which students were to be selected. Xehanort, normally the exploration of the outside world is left Keyblade Apprentices who have fully materialized their Keyblades but in this case I have made an exception. Besides I think this will make for an excellent opportunity to accelerate the process. I have the utmost confidence in all of your abilities," he said.

Master Ansem and Eraqus stared at each other for a long time; the barest traces of a smile crawled on Eraqus' face.

"You know coming from you that almost sounds like a compliment...I suppose I can free my schedule up," said Eraqus.

"You don't have to ask me twice," said Nadia.

"The chance to visit other worlds is what brought me here in the first place. I suppose the real question is when do we leave?" said Xehanort.

Jensen clapped his hands together.

"Well then follow me to Dreidall's lab I believe that he has a present for you that will 'suit' the situation," he said repeating Dreidall's joke, a knowing look on his face. "Follow me!"

...

A little while later the group joined Mentor Dreidall who was busy tinkering with something in his lab.

"Hey guys I'm glad you could join me, I think you guys will really like what we've cooked up," said Dreidall.

Dreidall took out what looked like a giant armored plated belt emblazoned with Keyblade Wielder emblem. He then handed the belt over to Eraqus and looked at him expectantly.

"Ummm...what exactly is it?" asked Eraqus.

"Put it on! Put it on! The great discovery is self discovery!" said Mentor Dreidall enthusiastically.

Eraqus took off his jacket and held the plate to his waist his waist. Automatically the belt clung to his waist and strapped itself in on it's own accord.

"Well that's handy," said Eraqus

"Press the emblem!" said Dreidall excitedly.

Eraqus pressed against the Keyblade Wielder emblem emblazoned on the armored plate. He was suddenly engulfed in a shining light surrounded his entire body. When the light dissipated Eraqus found himself fully clad in a excellently crafted suit of armor. The armor shone brilliantly it white and gold color scheme shining in the light. Eraqus took a moment to admire the armor.

"This is amazing!" said Eraqus looking at himself in a nearby mirror. "I look like something out of Kamen Rider!"

Nadia rolled her eyes, almost to the back of her head; Jensen slapped his forehead in exasperation. Dreidall however clapped his hands in excitement.

"Yes your armor specifically was inspired by that very show. I didn't realize you were a fan," said Dreidall in acknowledgement.

The two were clearly about to go in fan mode about the show, something Nadia swiftly foresaw and something she quickly put a stop to.

"Hey enough fanboying, more explanation," she said sternly.

"Okay, okay. This my latest invention an armor specifically designed for Keyblade wielders. The Lanes Between are extremely close to the darkness. As such traveling between them is very dangerous. In order to protect you guys I developed this armor which is highly resistant to external darkness. Tessai helped me synthesize the metal so that it's flexible and does not impede on mobility, Magnus worked his magic to add a transformation function. By using his magic he transfigured the full armor sets into condensed wearable Armor Triggers. The triggers when activated will transform into the full scale armor without having to drag around a full size suit of armor around twenty-four seven," he explained.

Dreidall handed Nadia an Armor Trigger that took the form of a pale blue gauntlet with a face plate that bore the Keyblade wielder emblem. Nadia put the gauntlet on and pressed the face plate on the wrist of her gauntlet and was also enveloped in a flash of light. When the burst of light faded she too was also clad in full armor, only hers was blue and white in color scheme.

"Woah! This is sick, it really is light weight. It feels like an a pair of clothes!" said Nadia in awe.

Dreidall took out the third Armor Trigger, which took the shape of an armored shoulder guard adorned with a crown symbol.

"Xehanort, I had to modify yours a little bit to be compatible with your Ethereal Blades," said Dreidall. "To further elaborate the armors are compatible with your Keyblades, and for now your Ethereal Blades. This compatibility will allow you to transfigure your weapons into modes of transport while within the Lanes Between. The function relies heavily on the your ability to transfigure your weapons. Am I correct in assuming you've mastered this ability?" asked Dreidall

The trio nodded in unison.

"Excellent, then simply use this ability with your armor activated and the armor will automatically transfigure your weapons into modes of transport. Xehanort why do you try it out," said Dreidall.

Xehanort strapped his Armor Trigger on his shoulder and pressed on the crown emblem, he was then enveloped in a burst of shining light. Xehanort felt a sudden sharp burst of energy surge from his heart, the transformation sequence momentarily halted before resuming. When light was gone Xehanort too found himself dressed in a full suit of armor. Unlike the other two armors, Xehanort's armor was a bit sleeker in design. It bore an emblem that resembled the Keyblade wielder emblem except upside. The motif was emblazoned throughout the armor, complete with a crown like helmet. Nadia and Eraqus nodded in approval; Dreidall however wore a look of utmost curiosity.

"What is it?" asked Xehanort.

"That was not the original design for your armor, in fact there hardly anything left of my design," said Dreidall.

"How is that possible?" asked Xehanort

Dreidall rubbed his short beard in contemplation.

"I'm not sure but perhaps once your Aura Weapons integrated with the armor, your heart changed the design. I suppose the aesthetics don't make a difference, but it is rather curious how rigid your heart's will is," he said with a laugh

"Xehanort is pretty stubborn," noted Nadia.

"Hey!" said Xehanort with a laugh.

"Xehanort, Nadia, Eraqus; why don't you guys try out the transport transformations," said Dreidall.

Xehanort decide to be the first one to attempt to do the transformation. He materialized his Ethereal Blades, immediately he felt a slight resonance between his blades and his armor. Xehanort tossed the twin blades into the air and willed them to transform. The blades then transformed into a pair of magnificent wings composed of pure ethereal energy. The wings attached themselves onto Xehanort's armor, essentially becoming an extension of his body. Xehanort found that he had complete control over the wings, as much as had with any of his other limbs.

"This amazing Dreidall, perfectly functionable!" said Xehanort, flexing the wings in awe.

Dreidall nodded in approval, he then turned to Nadia and Eraqus.

"Why don't you try your's out," he said.

Eraqus and Nadia nodded and materialized their Keyblades. Tossing them into the air, the Keyblades glowed in a brilliant light. When the light faded the Keyblades had transformed into glider like vehicles. The Master Keeper glider took the shape of a magnificent motorcycle type glider, while Kingdom Key's glider was more reminiscent of a hover board. Nadia hopped on her glider and flew a couple laps around the room, like Xehanort she found she could control with no effort. Eraqus hopped on his glider and gave it a test run as well, confirming it's functionability. Nadia hopped off her glider and call to the Kingdom Key, it immediately reverted to a Keyblade and returned to her hand.

"This truly is your greatest work yet!" said Nadia in awe.

"Thank you Nadia, that means a lot. It's certainly more practical then that itching powder you, me, and your brother synthesized that itching powder," he said with a smile.

Mentor Jensen who was in the midst of drinking coffee suddenly spat it out.

"That was you who helped them with that prank, damn you Dreidall," said Jensen angrily.

"Well guys that's enough with the demonstrations i have lot's of work to do!" he said hastily as he pushed the group out of his lab. " I'll see you all tomorrow before you depart."

With looks of bewilderment the trio was now forced to hear a lecture from Jensen as they walked down the hallway, each imagining the adventures they would have when they took that first step into the outside world.

...

The following day Xehanort, Nadia , and Eraqus walked together to the courtyard. The air was thick in anticipation, it had been a long time since anyone had left Land of Departure. It had been even longer since there was a real reason for anyone to leave Land of Departure. This was a big deal, even for something as simple as a scouting expedition. The trio who were no strangers to attention, were staring to feel the pressure of everyone's expectations.

"So are you guys scared?' asked Nadia as the three continued to the courtyard.

Eraqus put his hands behind his head, his usual habitual tick.

"Of course not..." he started, but the tone in his voice said otherwise. "Well I suppose a little. I mean we don't really know what's out out there."

"What about you Xehanort?" asked Nadia.

"A little..a respectable amount of fear is a perfectly rationale response to the unknown. There is no shame in the feeling," Xehanort said in response.

Eraqus squirmed nervously.

"Being scared is for babies. What do we have to really fear anyway?" Eraqus asked rhetorically.

Eraqus then brushed past the two, hastening his pace. Xehanort found Eraqus' sudden change in attitude a little unnerving. However in the depths of his memories he recalled Nadia once implying that Eraqus could often be a 'scaredy cat' especially when in came to the unknown. Xehanort wondered whether or not this was some manifestation of that fear. As if reading his mind Nadia reassured Xehanort.

"Don't worry he's just...nervous," she said.

Xehanort nodded and they both quickly caught up with Eraqus who had made it to the courtyard. Waiting for them stood Master Ansem, and the other Mentors.

"Ah..I'm glad you arrived. I suppose I can wish you good luck but I believe we should be swift as possible with this mission. I want to get started right away," he said in a business like fashion.

He quickly realized how he sounded and immediately amended his tone.

"Although considering at this point we don't even know if there is real danger I think a good luck would feel a little more foreboding," he said in a much more concerned tone.

Eraqus smiled at his father's attempt to be nice.

"Alright then let's get going," he said.

Master Ansem nodded and materialized his Keyblade. He pointed it to the sky and out shot a bright beam of light that created a portal.

"I have unlocked the Lanes Between you can use them to travel between worlds. Right now only one path is unlocked however should the worlds need your assistance more paths shall open. But be weary the Lanes Between are close to the darkness, as such the Heartless are sure to be on your tail," he explained. "Good luck."

Before the three could do anything, Mentor Jensen stepped forward. Throwing away all pretenses of his usual strict demeanor, he pulled Nadia and Eraqus into a hug.

"Please...be safe," he said softly.

"We will Jensen," said Eraqus, clearly touched

"Yeah Jensen nothing to worry about," said Nadia. "Besides we have Xehanort looking out for us."

"Please look after them Xehanort," said Jensen.

"I will!" said Xehanort

The other mentors pat Jensen on the back in understanding, having had a hand in raising Nadia and Eraqus, they all knew how he felt. Jensen stepped back in line and allowed the three friends to step forward. The trio activated their Armor Triggers and materialized their weapons. Tossing them into the air, they initiated their vehicle transformations. Xehanort's Ethereal Wings attached to his armor; Nadia boarded her Hoverboard Glider, and Eraqus his Cycle Glider. They were each given a salute and a final round of good lucks. After a momentary final look at the castle, the trio took off into the sky and entered the Lanes Between.

...

Almost immediately they were surrounded. No sooner then they arrived within the Lanes Between Heartless appeared on all sides. Unlike the Heartless that had attacked Land of Departure these Heartless had what appeared to be elastic like blocks attached to them. The blocks seemingly gave the Heartless the ability to freely traverse the Lanes Between.

Xehanort surveyed the situation, trying to estimate the best course of action.

"What should we do?" asked Nadia.

"Let's get the hell out of here, our mission is to make to the end of this pathway," said Eraqus

"Hang on guys I'll create an opening!" cried Xehanort.

Xehanort flexed his Ethereal Wings and willed them to grow. The wings expanded to great lengths, pushing the Heartless out of the way and creating a path for them to escape. Nadia and Eraqus steered their gliders through the gap, followed closely by Xehanort. As the three flew down the pathway the Heartless followed in hot pursuit.

"We're going to have to fight some of these guys, there is too many of them to ignore,"cried Xehanort, cutting a horde of Heartless down with his wings.

Eraqus and Nadia nodded in agreement. Nadia used the edges of her glider to slice through the Heartless, twirling in mid-air as she did. Eraqus pulled the triggers on his Cycle Glider emitting blast of energy that destroyed the Heartless. But for each one they took down another took their place. Still the three warriors pressed on trying to reach the end of the path to the next world.

"Guys look there it is!" shouted Eraqus, as he pointed to a bright portal that signified the end of the pathway.

"We're going to make it!" cried Nadia.

Only she spoke too soon. More Heartless appeared on their tail, far too many for them stop and fight.

Xehanort cursed; they were so close to making to be stopped at the last moment. He shook his head; no, he couldn't let it end here.

"Guy's grab a hold of me I have an idea!" Xehanort shouted.

Nadia and Eraqus quickly steered towards Xehanort and grabbed onto him. Xehanort turned away from the portal and started charging a huge amount of energy. He then pointed his wings at gigantic amassment of Heartless and fired a powerful blast of Ethereal energy. The blast was so powerful that it not only eliminated the Heartless he had targeted, but it propelled them straight through the portal, and closed the gateway. Xehanort felt the sensation of falling but was no longer comprehending what was going on. Drained of all his energy, Xehanort felt himself passing out. The last thing he heard before darkness took him was Eraqus.

"We made it, we're in another world!"

* * *

A/N:Wooo this was a super long chapter, so it took a little longer to finish. I didn't initially intend to make it this long but there were a couple elements I wanted to add before we enter onto the next world. First and foremost I wanted to introduce the council of Mentors and their roles within the Land of Departure. Second I wanted to incorporate Keyblade Armor and gliders into the story and this was my way of introducing them. Just like the trio has left behind the Land of Departure, this chapter marks the departure from the introductions. The stage has been set and we will now be progressing into the meat of the story. This story will have thirteen worlds. I have already introduced two of them in the form of Destiny Islands, and Land of Departure; leaving eleven worlds left. I have a really good selection of worlds picked out that I'm really excited about. I hope you guys are enjoying the story. As always reviews are appreciated, enjoy!

KH Dictionary

Inbetween World- An Inbetween World is a world that rests on the Realm Between. These world's have special properties that give them the ability to exist in multiple realms at the same time. This includes both the Realm of Darkness and the Realm of Light, in some cases it include the Realm of Sleep. The current list of Inbetween worlds is Traverse Town, Twilight Town, Land of Departure/Castle Oblivion, Yen Sid's Tower, The Keyblade Graveyard, and The World That Never Was.


	14. San Fransokyo: Tadashi and Hiro

_"To one grim fate, they unknowingly march."_

* * *

 **Part II: Escalation**

It was a few short hours after Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus had left, Master Ansem had finally returned to his study. Having been busy with meetings for the majority of the day, he was exhausted. Upon entering the room, he noticed a faint glow coming from behind the bookshelf on the far wall. He narrowed his eyes and rubbed his beard thoughtfully. He summoned his Keyblade and pointed it at the bookcase. Immediately a beam of light shot from his Keyblade and touched the bookshelf, opening it into two halves. Once open, a secret room, known only to Master Ansem and Mentor Jensen, was revealed. The room was small and contained mostly old looking tomes and scrolls. In the center of the room were two glass stained pedestals. On one pedestal, stood an ancient looking tome that bore the Keyblade wielder emblem. On the other pedestal stood a lone page, the same one Master Ansem had discovered on the day of Xehanort's arrival. It was this ancient looking piece of paper that was emitting the faint glow.

It had been some time since Master Ansem had looked at the mysterious page. Curious as an object it was, he hadn't examined it since the day he had found it. He picked up the glowing page, and to his surprise, the words that had originally been on the page were no longer there. Instead, the page held a completely different passage.

 _"Xehanort walks down the path of destiny and takes the mark of the Key Bearer._

 _His path to the waiting Legion will be marked by the presence of the lost pieces._

 _A plot to open the door will lead to loss of the first piece._

 _Three will journey to face the growing darkness._

 _Two opposites will close the door._

 _One's fate is sealed."_

Master Ansem's eyes widened in fear and surprise, another passage foretelling Xehanort's current course actions. Indeed his young pupil had taken the mark of the Key Bearer and continued, steadfast toward whatever destiny had in store for him. He rubbed his beard in contemplation, calling to memory what the previous passage had stated. It had talked about the arrival of something called the Ark within the Land of Departure. Whether the Ark referred to Xehanort himself, or whether it was the mysterious page he currently held in his hand, he did not know. Regardless, their arrival had indeed been a herald to the rise in the forces of darkness. Master Ansem had not lied when he told Avery he did not believe Xehanort to be the cause of its current rise. However, he would have been lying if he had stated that there wasn't a correlation. There was indeed a rise in the forces of darkness, and Xehanort was indeed connected somehow. Whether he was going to stop that rise, or further it remained to be seen. Master Ansem had no choice but to let the events unfold, and intervene where he was able to. Not having that answer in the meanwhile was very frustrating.

There was also the matter of the Lost Pieces. Here was something that Master Ansem did have knowledge about, though it was of no comfort to him. The Lost Pieces could only refer to one thing, and Master Ansem shuddered to think what was in store if they were indeed on the verge of surfacing once more. According to this passage, the first piece was destined to be lost. He thought about his children, especially Nadia who would have a far better understanding of the situation than her brother. A small tear slid down his cheek as he became dazed, lost in reminiscence.

Suddenly the page, which had been previously alight with a dull glow, became luminous. Master Ansem snapped out of his stupor and examined the page. The words that had previously written on the page had gone, replaced by another new passage. Master Ansem quickly took in the new words, that had woven themselves onto the page.

 _"The surfacing of the Third and Fourth is nigh._

 _As Xehanort continues on his quest towards the waiting Legion, a battle of Rage and Vengeance awaits._

 _A sacrifice of love will inspire the centerpiece of the six heroes._

 _In the aftermath, the twins will take their place within destiny's plan, their X's awakened."_

Master Ansem's eyes widened, taking in the words that lay there before him. There was not much to the passage that he could ponder without more context. However, the first sentence drove more fear into him then he had ever known in his life. He had not been prepared for this sudden revelation. It was happening at a much faster rate then he cared for. He thrust the page back onto the pedestal and strode quickly to the bookshelf. He fingered the volumes and pulled out a small brightly colored book. It was a children's book that he used to read to Nadia and Eraqus when they were young; when their family was whole. The book detailed the ancient fairy tale of the Keyblade War. It had been one of his favorite pastimes, relaying the tale, while his family listened in rapt attention. To them, it seemed like a harmless story, a folk tale to ward one from the path of darkness. Only it was so much more. Suddenly the legend of the Keyblade War was changing from a harmless fairy tale to a harsh reality. Forces were rising, forces that stretched back to the original Keyblade War. There was no more doubt anymore, events that had been foretold long before the original Keyblade War were threatening to unfold. He looked towards the second pedestal that held the ancient looking tome. His thoughts once again returned to his beloved children.

"Eraqus. You've already suffered so much," he said aloud. "Nadia... I don't-"

He clenched his fist in frustration. No, he couldn't allow any more harm to come them. Whatever the cost, he would do everything in his power stop this. He once more took the page off the pedestal and placed into his robes. He needed to plan contingencies, but this information was far too sensitive to share with the rest of the Mentors. In fact, there was only one person he trusted with this knowledge. With that thought, he sealed the secret room, swept from his study, and furiously headed towards Mentor Jensen's study.

...

It was a combination of loud street music, and Nadia shaking him, that woke Xehanort up. He slowly opened his eyes and began processing what was going on. Sitting up, he looked around. They appeared to be in a back alley, and it was night time. A short distance away there was the sound of pop music blaring from a nearby building. Cars busily drove down a crowded street, accompanied by the bustling sound of lots of people. Xehanort got up and poked his head out of the alleyway. He was met with scenery that he was far from what he was used to. Before him stood a thriving, and busy metropolis. The area was filled to the brim with lots of buildings, both big and small. There was bright lights everywhere, something that Xehanort was not accustomed to during the night hours. Cars flooded the streets, overhead was a system of train tracks, the street also had tracks for trolleys. Xehanort suddenly felt very small as he took in the entire scene. He turned to Nadia and Eraqus.

"Where do you think we are?" he asked.

"Beats me, it sure is huge, though," said Nadia, feeling slightly intimidated by the sprawling environment.

"I have no clue, I was kinda hoping you would have an idea," said Eraqus, scratching his head.

"I guess we won't find out by staying here. Let's have a look around, maybe we can find out more about this place," said Xehanort "And remember we're not to disrupt the order of this world. So be discreet."

The two siblings nodded, then tentatively the three friend's stepped out of the alley to explore.

...

It took them all of three minutes to get lost. The hustle and bustle of the city were certainly not something they were used to. Everything and everyone moved much faster compared to the Land of Departure, and compared to Destiny Islands, it made Xehanort feel like a slug. As the three of them tried to find their bearings, they found themselves in the direct line of fire of a group of protesters. The large group marched down the street, ferociously waving signs that said phrases like "Clean up our city!" and "Ban bot fights!". In their bid to get out of the way of the protesters, the trio found themselves forcefully shoved into a dark, shady alleyway. As the protesters were still blocking their path, Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus, decided to make their way to the other end of the alley. As they did, they came upon a troubling scene.

A large man with a sumo wrestler physique was menacingly holding a much smaller man by the neck. The smaller man was scrawny and had a fearful look on his face.

"Please Mr. Yama, I-I need more time," he said clearly scared. "Please h-have some compassion."

Mr. Yama gave the scrawny man a cold sneer. "Spare me your sobbing. I gave you an extension last week and surprise surprise, you still don't have my money."

"But Mr. Yama, I have a family to support..what are my children to eat?" asked the scrawny man.

"That's no concern of mine. You wanted to play with the big boys, now you gotta pay what you owe," said Mr. Yama fiercely.

"P-please, I just need more time," said the man.

"It's too late for that. Now I got to teach you a lesson about punctuality," said Mr. Yama.

Mr. Yama pulled back his fist and prepared to clobber the man. It was then Nadia stepped forward, fully prepared to intervene.

"Put him down!" she shouted angrily.

Mr. Yama turned to the trio, taking notice of them for the first time. He eyed Nadia greedily, slicking back his hair and suddenly adopting an oily demeanor.

"Listen, honey, I'm just teaching this guy to respect his debts. Why don't you sit down, and after I'm done here, I'll show you around town," he said, in what he thought was a smooth voice.

Nadia looked at Mr. Yama in revulsion.

"I wouldn't go anywhere with an ugly thug like you,"she said with a sneer. "Now put him down."

Mr. Yama's previously adopted slick demeanor was dropped immediately.

"And what are you gonna do if I don't," he said, matching her sneer with one of his own.

"Then I will make you put him down," said Nadia, clenching her fist.

Mr. Yama let out an obnoxious laugh. "Listen girly why don't you run along and play with your dollies. I have business to attend to." He lifted the scrawny man and once more swung back his fist. The three friends were about to intervene when another presence entered the alley.

"Let him go Yama!" said a boy, who couldn't have been older than sixteen.

For the second time, Mr. Yama lowered the man slightly. The boy had an athletic build and had a crop of short black hair. He sported a hat with the logo comprised of the letters SFN

"Hamada!" said Mr. Yama. "What do you want?"

The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash, he tossed the roll to Mr. Yama. Mr. Yama caught the roll, dropping the man to the floor. He then began greedily counting the money.

"That's more than enough to pay off Mr. Kisaragi's debt, so let him go," said the boy.

"Alright..alright," said Mr. Yama. "But remember Kisaragi, Hamada ain't always going to be around to bail you out."

With those words Mr. Yama swept his way out of the alley, roughly pushing past Nadia, who tossed him a dirty look.

After Yama was gone, Mr. Kisaragi turned to his savior, a grateful smile crossing his face. "Thank you Tadashi, I don't know what I would have done with out you.-" He turned to Nadia, Xehanort, and Eraqus. "-Although I imagine these three might have stepped in your absence. Especially this fiery young lady." He gratefully shook Nadia's hand and gave Xehanort and Eraqus a smile. "Tadashi thanks again. Stop by the house, my wife will cook you a nice meal. Bring Hiro too, Yuki loves seeing that little guy."

Tadashi gave the man a smile.

"No problem Mr. Kisaragi," he said. "Hiro and I will be sure to stop by soon."

Mr. Kisiragi then left the alley, leaving Tadashi alone with Xehanort, Eraqus, and Nadia. Tadashi then turned to the three.

"Hey thanks guys for sticking up for Mr. Kisiragi, not a lot of people would stand up to a thug like Yama," he said. "My name is Tadashi...Tadashi Hamada."

Xehanort took a step forward and shook Tadashi's hand.

"Hi, my name is Xehanort."

"I'm Eraqus."

"I'm Nadia!"

As if suddenly remembering something, Tadashi turned around and called out.

"Hiro, it's okay you can come out now!" he said.

A young boy poked his head out from around the corner and walked over to Tadashi. He had a wild mane of messy black hair, and his eyes were constantly observing, taking everything in and analyzing it.

"Did you beat up the bad guys Tadashi?" asked three-year-old Hiro Hamada.

Tadashi gave Hiro a semi-stern look. "What did I say about fighting?"

Hiro gave Tadashi an exasperated sigh.

"Only as a last resort and never out of anger," he recited, kicking the ground.

Tadashi rubbed Hiro's head, then returned his attention to Xehanort and the others. "This is my little brother Hiro. Say hi Hiro."

"Hi Hiro," he said with a giggle.

Tadashi poked Hiro in the back of the head. "Sorry guys he's a bit of a wiseguy, after all, he is a certified genius,"

Eraqus looked at the boy curiously, a mischievous grin sliding onto his face. "Looks like you have some competition in the brains department Xehanort."

Xehanort gave Eraqus a playful shove as the rest of the group began laughing.

"You guys don't seem to be from around here," Tadashi observed, study the trio with great interest. "What were you guys even doing in this alleyway?"

Xehanort rubbed the back of his head, trying to come up with a cover story. Fortunately for him, Nadia was a little quicker.

"We're not from the city..and we kinda got lost. We were trying to figure out where we were when a bunch of protesters pushed us into this alley," She explained, telling most of the truth. "That's when we ran into lardo the buffoon."

Tadashi nodded kindly.

" I thought you were out of towners. You definitely didn't come off as city kids...more like lost puppies," he said with a grin.

Hiro, however, narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"You guys are from another world aren't you?" Hiro asked rather aggressively.

Eraqus nearly choked; Xehanort and Nadia exchanged surprised looks.

This time, Tadashi poked his little brother in the back of the head much harder.

"Hiro! Quit being rude," he said, giving the trio an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, sometimes he get's some crazy ideas in his smart little head."

Hiro looked at his brother resentfully.

"It's not crazy! How do you explain the door that Garen and Gavener found, and those elastic blo-" he said before Tadashi covered his mouth.

At this Nadia narrowed her eyes.

"You guys found some sort of secret door?" she asked rather slowly.

Tadashi rubbed the back of his head guiltily; Hiro looked upset, guilty he had spilled the beans.

"How about this, we'll share our secrets if you share yours. To answer your earlier question...yes, we are from another world," Nadia said.

Both Tadashi and Hiro's jaw dropped open. Hiro's face lit up in excitement.

"Wow! That's sooo awesome! You guys are like aliens," Hiro babbled excitedly.

He poked each of the three friends, as of to see if they were slimy. Tadashi immediately pulled back Hiro's hand and gave him a stern look. He then turned his attention back to the trio.

"I have to admit it's pretty cool to meet someone from another world. I guess you have your reasons for coming to our world?" He asked out of curiosity.

"We're on a mission to go to other worlds and investigate any disturbances. So if you guys know anything that can help us with our investigation, we would really appreciate the help," Nadia explained, keeping part of the truth to herself.

Tadashi nodded.

"Well I was on my way to see them anyway, we're working together on a project..." he said trailing off momentarily. "I'll take you to see the twin, their my best friends, and they'll be able to explain it better then I could."

He turned to Hiro.

"Come on let's go see Gavener and Garen.

* * *

A/N: We're back people! It's been a while since I last updated. Unfortunately, my old laptop officially went to computer heaven, and it was a while before I was able to swing for a new one. But we are back to our regularly scheduled program. Onto less bothersome issues, San Fransokyo makes it's debut as the first new world! I hope you guys are excited as I am for this surprise. Big Hero 6 is one of my favorite modern era Disney movies,and it's the first world I knew I wanted to include when I came up with the idea for this story. The themes for this movie align perfectly for the two very important characters that will debut in the next chapter. The story will be a prequel to the Big Hero 6 story, and takes place 10 years prior to events of the film. Remember every world has its own flow of time, so this timeframe doesn't have to match up with the main story arc. Once again pay attention to the prophecies given by the lost page, they are clues as to what's going on. Props to anyone who can figure it out. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter, and are excited for what's to come. Reviews are always welcome. I need reader input as I'm trying to improve my skills as writer.


	15. San Fransokyo: The Twins

_"A massive core of energy lay beyond the door sought by the Heartless. It may be the ultimate goal of the Heartless. But what is that energy? I have devised a hypothesis, based upon my observations of the Heartless._

 _The Heartless feed on other's hearts and they yearn for that energy core. That thing beyond the door must be a heart, too-the heart of this world. There is no proof, but, having felt that immense energy, I am certain. That was the heart of the world._

 _The Heartless are trying to take hearts not only from all living creatures but from the planet itself. But what do they mean to do with the heart of the world?"-Ansem Report 6_

* * *

Tadashi Hamada was not a secretive person, but he was a loyal one. When someone trusted him with a secret, he usually kept their confidence. The exception only came in two instances, the first was when the secret was potentially harmful. Tadashi never wanted to be responsible for someone else's pain, when he could have done something to prevent it. The second instance came when sharing the secret, was helpful and beneficial. The latter happened to be the case with Nadia, Eraqus, and Xehanort.

His best friends were twins, by the name of Garen, and Gavener. Like Tadashi and Hiro, the twins were also geniuses, and also specialized in robotics. But the unlike Tadashi and his little brother, the twins were different. They looked at the world around them completely differently from the rest of the world. In the most literal sense, they saw things in the world, no one else saw. One time, when they were little kids, his parents invited the two to accompany them to a stargazing picnic the family had planned. As the family watched the stars, they saw a star blink out into nothingness. Tadashi's family was excited at seeing the rare occurrence of a star dying, but the twin's reaction was the complete opposite. Immediately the twins began to cry. When Mrs. Hamada finally calmed them down, she asked them what was wrong. The twins then simultaneously pointed to where the star once was.

"Another world has faded, all those people are sad," the twins said simultaneously.

Mr. Hamada gave the two an odd look, then suggested that they all go for ice cream, in an attempt to assuage the situation.

"Can we get sea salt ice cream Mr. Hamada?" asked Gavener, immediately cheering up

"I want blueberry!" said Garen

"I want chocolate!" said Tadashi

Mr. Hamada laughed and took the boys and his wife to get ice cream, the previous tension all but forgotten. However, the moment always stood out in Tadashi's mind, especially when other odd occurrences happened around the twins. There was an incident when they were twelve, when on a class trip, they claimed to have seen a dark creature with bright yellow eyes. The time they saw strange shadowy aura, emitting from a man who almost kidnapped one-year-old Hiro. These incidents culminated recently when the twins had claimed they found some sort of secret door. At first when the twins tried to show Tadashi and Hiro the door, Tadashi and his brother saw nothing. Naturally, the two siblings were skeptical and thought the twins were playing a prank on them. Then the twins grabbed the two boys in an attempt to show them where it was. The moment that Garen and Gavener touched them, it happened. A giant door spawned on the back wall of the abandoned garage. Both Tadashi and Hiro broke free of the twin's grip, clearly in shock. However, the moment they let go of the twins, the door had disappeared.

"W-what happened to the door?" asked Hiro, in a tiny voice.

"You saw it?" asked Garen, giving his brother a glance.

"I knew we weren't crazy," said Gavener.

The four friends quickly figured out that only Garen and Gavener could actually see the door. However, if Tadashi or Hiro came in direct contact with either twin in the presence of the door, it would appear to them as well. From that point on, Garen and Gavener made that abandoned garage their hideout. Whenever the twins were nowhere to be found, you could always find them in the garage, tinkering away on whatever project they happened to be working on. When they weren't working on a project, they studied the door. The door was plain in design, bearing a single giant keyhole. Other than that the door was nothing extraordinary, apart from being visually selective. Being unable to see it without assistance, Tadashi and Hiro's interest in the door was minimal. Garen and Gavener, the curious beings that they were, invested many of hours studying it. While they weren't able to find anything substantial, they discovered that the door gave off a massive energy signal. The energy was of such power, that by siphoning it's excess, the twins were able to supply power to some of their creations, mostly their robotics. Things were going smoothly and then the door handle appeared.

One day, Garen and Gavener walked into the garage, as they had many times before. The door was there, in its usual position, only this time there was a door handle on the door. Immediately Garen called Tadashi and told him to get to the garage on the double. Tadashi dragged a still half asleep Hiro outside, and the two brothers double-timed it over to the garage. When they got there, Gavener wasted no time grabbing the two brothers by the arm and dragging them over to his twin, to show them what they had discovered. There it was, plain as day, a doorknob that had never been there before. Hiro looked at the twins, the obvious question etched onto his face.

"Did you look inside?" he asked.

"We couldn't do it without you guys," responded Garen simply.

The group gathered around the door, and with slight trepidation, Garen opened the door, and they stepped inside. The inside was pure white, with no distinction between the sky and the ground. In fact, if they weren't already on solid footing, one would be given the impression that another step would lead to an endless fall. But in the center of the room, lay something more impressive than the spatially disorienting room. In the center of the room was a massive core of energy.

"Woah..think of all the marshmallows we could roast with that.."said Hiro trailing off

Garen pulled a device out of his pocket and held it up to the energy core. After examining the scan results, he turned to his twin.

"It's the same energy signature that we've been siphoning from the door. This must be the source of it," he said.

Suddenly the door flew open and in crawled two black creatures with big yellow eyes. Tadashi was suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of uneasiness, instinctively he drew Hiro behind him protectively. The creatures' heads wiggled erratically and suddenly their antennas twitched into the direction of energy core. Quick as a flash, Gavener materialized his red Ethereal Chakrams, and tossed them at the creatures, cutting them to dust. Tadashi looked towards the twins, his feeling of uneasiness at its peak.

"This isn't right, we don't belong here. Let's get out of here. NOW!" he said in an uncharacteristically harsh tone.

Gavener nodded in agreement.

"Wait!" said Garen

He pulled a hand-sized device from his pocket and held it up to the energy core. The device emitted a beam that siphoned energy directly from the massive core. When the device was at full capacity, Garen nodded, and the group quickly filed out of the room as Gavener slammed the door shut behind him. As he did, the doorknob disappeared, leaving the room inaccessible. After a couple minutes of silence, it was Hiro who erupted with the questions they all wanted to ask

"What was that thing? What were those creatures? Why can I still see the door without your help?" he asked, in an almost ramble of questions.

Garen quickly looked at Hiro, then to his twin, then back to Hiro.

"You can still see the door?" he asked Hiro.

Hiro nodded. Garen looked towards Tadashi.

"I- I can see it too," said Tadashi.

"Maybe that energy core has something to do with it," said Garen, thinking out loud. "That still doesn't explain why Gavener and I could see it without the help of the core."

Gavener shrugged, unable to hypothesize an answer.

"Come on let's get out of here for a while. This whole thing is kinda killing my vibes," he said.

Tadashi and Hiro quickly agreed. Garen stared at the door for a few more moment, deep in thought. Snapping out of it, he agreed and the group decided to head out to prepare for their annual stargazing picnic.

Yes, Garen and Gavener were Tadashi's best friends, but they were certainly different. Strange things happened to them, and around them. That day had only served to add to the list of strange occurrences. That very night an irregular and unexpected meteor shower occurred. In the weeks that followed, more of those creatures had made appearances around the city, forcing Tadashi and his friends to hunt them down. Also in those weeks, Garen and Gavener began finding fragments of the meteorite all over San Fransokyo. These fragments were unlike anything any of them had ever seen. Instead of the expected composition of various minerals, the fragments were completely elastic. They bonded easily with their other counterpart fragments. The twins had decided to call the strange fragments Gummi Blocks, and right away began testing their applications to robotics.

But while twins dug deeper into the mysteries that they had uncovered, Tadashi had become worried that they were in over their head. Even after weeks of research, they were no closer to coming to any answers to any of their questions. To make matters worse, Tadashi knew that the reason the twins constantly threw themselves into their research and robotics, were attempts at creating something that would pay off some of their mother's medical expenses. Their mother raised them by herself and her health was always frail. She was in constant war with cancer, and it never seemed to stay in remission for too long. As one could imagine, the expenses quickly racked up. The twins were always hoping to invent something that would alleviate their mother's expenditures.

It was for this reason, that Tadashi was sharing their secrets with Nadia, Xehanort, and Eraqus. The fact that they had come from another world entirely, had brought a lot of clarity to the mysteries that currently revolved around Garen and Gavener. Tadashi had a very strong feeling, that the trio of friends could be the key to unlocking those mysteries.

...

Tadashi dropped Hiro off at their house, much to his dismay. Then he took Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus over to the twin's garage. Upon entering, they were met with a loud noise of moving machinery. Two boys of seventeen were scurrying around, carrying large parts of what looked to be a giant mechanical robot suit. Xehanort assumed that these two boys were Garen and Gavener. Nadia and Eraqus looked at the machine in awe; Tadashi wore a look of concern

"Hey, guys what's the hurry. I thought you weren't working on this bot anymore," said Tadashi, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Enough with the lecture Tadashi, we need to get this done," said the twin, with a short crop of red hair.

"But Gavener-" said Tadashi, before the blue haired twin held his hand up in interruption.

"Can it Tadashi, we don't have time for this," he said, continuing to calibrate the robot's arm.

Tadashi' face crumpled into a look of realization.

"You're going to that bot fight, aren't you Garen?" he asked harshly.

The blue haired boy looked just as harshly at Tadashi, his green eyes determined.

"I said, we don't have time for this Tadashi," he said firmly.

"You said you guys were done with this...I don't believe this," Tadashi said angrily.

"Tadashi, if you're here to hassle us take your new groupies, and get the hell out," said Gavener.

Tadashi walked over to Garen and grabbed his arm firmly.

"I'm not going to let you guys do this, think about your mom," he said.

Garen's face turned red with rage. He roughly shoved Tadashi to the ground.

"I told you to leave us alone!" he cried.

Tadashi lay there on the floor in shock. Even Gavener looked surprised at his twin's actions. Garen suddenly looked ashamed of himself, and slowly sank to his knees, tears suddenly welling up at the corner of his eyes.

"Tadashi...I'm so sorry..I-I didn't mean to.." he said.

A look of realization crossed Tadashi's face once more.

"It's your mom, isn't it," he said.

Both Gavener and Garen nodded in confirmation.

"It's near terminal this time. I-If she doesn't have the operation soon..she's going.." Garen said trailing off, unable to utter the unthinkable word.

"The operation is one hundred thousand..." started Gavener.

"...The same amount of money for this week's bot fight jackpot," finished Tadashi.

"Come on Tadashi, we need this..." said Garen.

Tadashi let out a long sigh.

"I'm sorry I just can't let you do this..." he said with a slight pause. "...Not without my help."

Garen smiled and reached out his hand to Tadashi. Tadashi took his hand and the two friends embraced in a hug.

"Thanks, man, this means a lot to us," said Garen

"Come on guys, you know I always got your back," said Tadashi. "Besides someone has to keep you out of trouble."

"So who are these three?" asked Gavener suddenly.

Tadashi let out a small laugh,having momentarily forgotten about the trio. He motioned for Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus to come over.

"Guy, this is Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus. I kinda told them about the door," said Tadashi.

"You what?!" shouted Garen

"Relax, guys we can trust them. Besides they're from another world, they might know more about it than we do," said Tadashi.

The twins face lit up simultaneously.

"Really?" asked Garen

"Which one?" asked Gavener.

"How many are there?" asked Garen

"Whoa guys, give them room to breath," laughed Tadashi.

It was at this point, Xehanort took a moment to study the twins. Despite the fact that they were twins, they were hardly identical. Garen had a mane of blue hair that hung over his shoulders. He wore a black leather jacket over a blue shirt . He also wore military cargo pants and combat boots. Garen had the look of a general or a soldier. His posture and facial features were structured into a mask of discipline. His twin brother had a much more relaxed vibe to him. Gavener's red hair was cut much shorter and stuck up giving him a messy look. He wore a red hoodie that bore a skull caricature that stuck it's tongue out. He wore baggy shorts with multiple belts that crisscrossed over them. His sneakers were black, with bright flames painted on them.

Xehanort then stuck out his hand, to which Garen shook it.

"It's nice to meet you," said Xehanort.

"It's nice to meet you as well," said Garen

"So what brings to our little slice of the universe?" asked Gavener.

This time, it was Nadia who answered.

"We're on a mission. We've been sent to investigate the worlds and see if there are any problems that have arisen," she said. "We were told you found a door...show me."

"Okay it's over here," said Garen, leading her to the back of the garage. "Though I'm not sure if you'll be able to see it."

But when the group arrived at where Garen led them, it was there plain a day. Nadia walked over to the door and put her hand on it.

"Wow, this my first time seeing one in person," she muttered to herself.

"Wait, you can see it," asked Gavener.

Nadia snorted. "Of course I can see it all those who have the ability to wield the Keyblade can see the doors that lead to the heart of a world." She rubbed her chin in deep thought. "I suppose the real question is how you two were able to see it." She subconsciously summoned the Kingdom Key. "I suppose, I should seal this Keyhole, though."

"What is that?" asked Garen

"Awesome!" said Gavener.

Nadia held up the Kingdom Key. "This is a Keyblade, it's a weapon we, chosen, use to safeguard the light." She pointed to the door that stood before them. "You guys say you opened this door and dark creatures appeared?" Garen, Gavener, and Tadashi all nodded. "You guys are very lucky. Things could have been a lot worse. Those creatures were called Heartless, they're physical manifestations of hearts that have been captured by the darkness. The Heartless operate on the sole instinct to devour hearts. But above all else, they crave the ultimate heart, the heart of all worlds. That energy core you found was this world's heart. If the Heartless had succeeded in devouring that, your world would have been swallowed by darkness." The boys all gulped simultaneously.

"I'm going to seal this Keyhole so that the Heartless can never reach that core again," said Nadia.

She took a step back and pointed her Keyblade at the door's Keyhole. A beam of light shot out from the Kingdom Key and instantly sealed the Keyhole. The door glowed brightly, then disappeared in a flash of light.

"Well I suppose that's one mystery out of the way," said Gavener.

"Yeah, thanks for preventing us from doing something stupid," said Garen.

"Well, I suppose no real harm was done," said Nadia kindly. "Though you know what they say about curiosity."

"Alright guys, now that, that's out of the way. Why don't we get this bot ready for battle, we got a fight to win," said Tadashi determinedly."Xehanort, Nadia, Eraqus we could use some extra hands."

"Sure I think we-" Xehanort started, pausing to look around. "Hey, where is Eraqus?"

The group looked over to the front of the garage, where Eraqus was examining the robot about to press a big red button.

"Get away from that!" everyone in the room shouted simultaneously.

Eraqus quickly put his hands behind his head, slightly embarrassed.

"What? I was just looking," he said. "It's not every day you see a giant mecha."

Nadia shook her head in exasperation, and the rest of the group burst into laughter. Garen began assigning everyone jobs, as they started preparing for the bot fight that was to come.

* * *

A/N: Woot! Another chapter down the hatch. I had originally my deadline this chapter for Monday, but when I actually started writing it, the chapter went into a different direction then what I originally planned. I think this route was much smoother. Plus we have some background story to Garen and Gavener, who will be major players in this series. As always reviews are appreciated, and I hope you enjoy the chapter. Just not that the next chapter is going to be pretty intense.


	16. San Fransokyo: Battling Bots

_"Anger and Hate are supreme." -Xemnas_

* * *

 _Lea woke up, tightly secured in a metal machine. His vision was hazy and he was barely aware of what was happening. He saw the silver-haired man who had knocked him out and a dark haired man with an eye patch, both huddled over a machine similar to the one he was in. He almost passed out again, when he saw that it was Isa strapped in the machine. Suddenly, the dark-haired man spoke._

 _"So, Xemnas, do think this kid will work out?" he said in a bored tone._

 _Xemnas spoke in a delighted manner._

 _"Indeed...the boy is teeming with the properties necessary to become a quality candidate. He shows the seedbed for darkness, something his friend seems to lack. We will have to give him the mark before we begin the process, so we can track him once the separation is complete. You have done well Xigbar," said Xemnas._

 _Xigbar looked over at Lea._

 _"What about Red over here?" he asked._

 _Xemnas walked over to Lea._

 _"Don't worry my fiery friend, you won't remember much of this, but know this. We have big plans for the two of you. After all, this time, I can finally return you to your true selves."_

 _Xemnas reached for Lea's face as he felt himself pass out._

 _..._

Xehanort woke up to Nadia gently shaking him awake. He looked around and realized he was still in the garage. He must have fallen asleep, having moved heavy machinery with Garen, Gavener, and Tadashi all day. As a 'thank you' for helping them, Garen and Gavener allowed Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus to crash at the garage. It was a lot more comfortable than potentially having to sleep on the street. The three had readily agreed to camp out at the garage until the Bot Fight tournament, which was scheduled in the morning.

Xehanort's thoughts turned to his strange dream, though truthfully, the details were already slipping away. However, the two boys in the dream were definitely reminiscent of Garen and Gavener. Xehanort was suddenly pulled from his thoughts by Nadia, who snapped her fingers trying to gain Xehanort's attention.

"Xehanort, are you even listening to me?" she asked in an impatient tone, holding a plate of food that had she made for him.

"Sorry Nadia, still kinda out of it, had a bad dream," said Xehanort.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked.

Xehanort hesitated. "I've been having these weird dreams lately. I don't know if they're real or not, but when I have them, something bad usually happens afterward." He rubbed his head in frustration. "The last time I had these dreams, I saw the Heartless break the barrier and when I woke up it had come true." He let out a long sigh. "I can't help but feel there is a connection. Maybe this whole mess is my fault."

Nadia gave Xehanort a soft smile. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder; Xehanort tensed slightly.

"Xehanort, you can't blame yourself for things that are beyond your control. In fact, you were instrumental in helping save our world. I don't hold you responsible at all and I'm pretty sure no one else does," she said comfortingly. "I won't have you blaming yourself anymore."

Xehanort let out another sigh.

"Yeah, I guess," he said, beginning to pick at the plate of food Nadia brought him.

"So, what was this dream about?" she asked.

Xehanort scratched his head again, trying to recall what he saw. "I can't remember... it's too fuzzy. There were two guys... and Garen and Gavener. Or maybe it wasn't them... I remember they were similar." He tried recalling the details, but the harder he tried, the more the details began to slip away. "I'm sorry I can't remember."

Nadia gave Xehanort a sympathetic look. "Just try not to worry about, try to get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow."

"Just try not to worry about it, try to get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow," she said softly.

She gave Xehanort's arm a squeeze and walked over to the couch to try and get some sleep.

Xehanort watched her as her breathing evened out and she eventually fell into deep sleep. He walked over to her, took off his jacket and placed it over her. As he did, she unconsciously snuggled the jacket tighter around her, a smile of contentment crossing her face. Xehanort sat down on the floor next to Nadia and rested his head on the couch. He folded his hands behind head, taking comfort in her presence.

Nadia's hand then subconsciously found it's way into Xehanort's and lightly held it. Xehanort slightly startled, tried to gently pull away. Nadia, however, held on tighter, almost stirring from her sleep. Not wanting to disturb her, Xehanort stopped resisting and mad himself comfortable. Though he still couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen, he took comfort in the current moment and drifted into an easy sleep.

...

The following morning Xehanort found himself being shaken awake, this time by Eraqus.

"Wassamatter," said Xehanort sleepily.

"Nothing, Garen, Gavener, and Tadashi are ready to go. It's time for the bot fight," said Eraqus with a knowing smirk plastered on his face.

Xehanort raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"What's with the weird look?" he asked.

"Nothing," said Eraqus, his smirk growing even more pronounced. "You just look... comfortable."

Nadia then took that moment to unconsciously squeeze Xehanort's hand. It was then Xehanort realized, she was still holding onto to his hand. Xehanort quickly pulled his hand away; Nadia began stirring from her deep sleep.

"It's not what it looks like!" Xehanort said quickly, blushing furiously.

Eraqus burst out into a fit of laughter, finding Xehanort's flustered expression greatly amusing.

"What are you laughing at Eraqus?" she asked sleepily

Eraqus put his hands behind his head, grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh nothing, just harassing Xehanort. Come on, Garen and the others are waiting for us," he said.

Nadia got up and stretched. She tossed Xehanort his jacket.

"Thanks for letting me use your jacket as a blanket, that was really sweet of you," she said with a wink.

"N-no problem," Xehanort stuttered.

Nadia flounced after her brother, motioning for Xehanort to do the same. Recomposing himself, Xehanort followed suit as the group prepared to experience their very first bot fight.

...

Garen and Gavener went on ahead of the others as they needed to register their Bot in the fight. Tadashi and Hiro were to be the ones to bring Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus to the fight venue. On their way there, they passed a large group of protesters, wielding the same signs that Xehanort had seen when they first arrived. All of them protesting the upcoming Bot fight. Xehanort took that moment and decided to ask Tadashi the question that had been on his mind for a while.

"Hey Tadashi, how come Bot fighting is taboo around here?" he asked.

Hiro answered automatically in his usual sarcastic fashion.

"Because the people here are lame and afraid of a little excitement," he said. "Plus they're probably jealous of all the money you can win!"

Tadashi poked Hiro in the back of the head. He then took off his San Fransokyo Ninja hat and ran his hand through his hair. It was as if he was trying to find the right words. "You see, it's a lot more complicated than that. Bot fighting isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the crime that's attached to the bot fighting industry is. You see, all the city's criminals have a hand in the bot fighting industry. One could argue that they started the whole thing."

Tadashi subconsciously pulled Hiro off the street as a car came racing by. "It's smart if you think about it. They started it as part of a money laundering operation. They hold these bot fight tournaments and these criminal gangs and mob bosses would put their dirty money up as the prize money. Then, they rig the tournaments so the criminals win the tournament and the prize money. The formerly dirty money is then claimed as prize money from the tournaments, clean as a baby's bottom."

Tadashi paused and motioned for the group to make a left turn. "Then they began allowing civilians to enter the tournaments. Mostly people in desperate need of the money. They began charging a 'losers' fee for anyone who lost in their tournaments and because the winners are usually rigged in Yama's gang of thugs favor, of course, the average guy is going to end up owing big time."

"Yama? You mean that fat turd that was picking on that gentleman in the alleyway?" asked Nadia sharply.

Tadashi nodded. "Yep, that's the guy. He is in charge of the entire operation. Almost all the crime in the city goes through Yama and his Bot fighting circuit. Money laundering, drug trafficking, extortion. You name it, Yama's goons have a hand in it. Everybody knows that the Bot fighting circuit is funding or covering up all the crime in the city, but the Yama has a lot of powerful people in his pocket, so it's hard for the SFPD to bring the operation down."

Another pack of protesters passed the group. "The thing is, though, San Fransokyo is fighting back! Apart from protesters, the mayor is this close to passing legislation to ban bot fights once and for all. The only problem is there are members of the committee in Yama's pocket. One of them is entering today's tournament, so I have a bad feeling that this tournament is a bribe in disguise."

Xehanort took all the information in, suddenly coming to an understanding.

"That's why you're helping Garen and Gavener right? he asked. "You don't want them getting hurt."

Tadashi nodded.

"Garen and Gavener have been my best friends since pre-school. They're good people, I don't want them to fall victims to Yama's schemes," he said.

"Don't worry, we'll be looking out for them as well!" said Nadia

Xehanort and Eraqus nodded in agreement.

"Thank you guys, I appreciate the help! It means a lot," said Tadashi

"Hey, don't forget about me! When I get bigger I'm going to build a robot that beats up all the bad guys!" Hiro shouted excitedly.

Tadashi ruffled his brother's hair affectionately.

"Speaking of bad guys, we're here," said Tadashi, pointing to a large garage-like building. "Everyone got their passes?"

The group walked up to the two large security guards with matching stern looks.

"Show us your passes," said the guard on the right.

Everyone pulled out their passes and handed them to the guard. The guard scanned the passes and gave them back.

"Enjoy the tournament," he said without a bit of enthusiasm.

Tadashi motioned for the group to follow him, as they entered the venue. He led them over to Garen and Gavener, both who were doing last minute calibrations on their Bot. The Bot stood 6 feet tall and was clad in red had sleek and muscular looking build. On its back, were expandable wings and mini jet propellers. It had powerful gauntlet-like hands that doubled as impact projectiles, that returned after impact. The boots also contain jet boosters to give it's flight more stability and power. Overall, it was a powerful and impressive piece of machinery. Xehanort wasn't the most experienced when it came to modern technology, but even he understood how impressive the Bot was. On the chest was a serial number and the name of the bot: The Alpha Baymax.

When they finished the calibrations, Garen turned to Tadashi.

"Tadashi, you made it. I've got great news!" said Garen excitedly. "All the other contestants dropped out of the tournament. It's just us and Grayson, that guy from the committee. We can't lose!"

Tadashi, however, wore a look of grave concern.

"Don't you find that suspicious, you know that Yama has these tournaments rigged," he said.

Garen shrugged.

"It doesn't matter, even it was rigged, there is no way Yama's goons can make a Bot that can beat ours," said Garen confidently.

Tadashi still looked worried.

"He's right Tadashi, you know damn well that we are the best roboticists in San Fransokyo. Yama can't compete," said Gavener. "Besides look how many people are here. It will be pretty hard to screw us, not without keeping up appearances."

"I sincerely hope you're right," said Tadashi.

"Besides you got our back right?" asked Garen holding out a fist.

"...Yeah, of course," said Tadashi after a slight pause.

He bumped fists with Garen and Gavener as he had man times before.

"Now get to your seats, we're about to start," said Garen.

Tadashi led them the group to their seats, planting himself down next to his little brother, who was writhing in excitement.

Suddenly the announcer made his way to the arena, prepared to introduce the competitors.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Are you ready to rumble!" he said loudly into his microphone.

The large crowd cheered enthusiastically in response.

"In this corner, we have the definitive underdogs, the rag-tag duo! Garen and Gavener!" he shouted, allowing the spotlight to momentarily be focused on the twins. "In the opposing corner, the man who has recently announced his bid for mayor of San Fransokyo next term, and the favorite of this tournament Councilman Grayson"

The crowd was clearly rooting against the councilman as the arena rang with jeers and boos.

"Fighters, send your Bots to the arena!"

Garen and Gavener used their twin remotes to send the Alpha Baymax to the arena. Councilman Grayson used his controller to send his Bot to the field. Grayson's Bot stood a foot taller than the Alpha Baymax but it looked a lot less of a threat. The design and build were intimidating to be sure, but it was also bulky and clunky. The Bot moved much slower than the sleek and agile Alpha Baymax. It was however armed with to pincer-like hands, that were very sharp and looked troublesome. Garen and Gavener both wore matching looks of amusement, it was clear they were confident in their ability to win this battle.

"All right fighters! Ready, set, FIGHT!"

Grayson's Bot lumbered forward and tackled the Alpha Baymax to the ground. It's pincers opened up and attempted to deliver a crippling strike. The twins simply smirked and easily maneuvered the agile Alpha Baymax out of harm's way. Grayson's Bot, once more, came bounding after the Alpha Baymax, shooting energy projectiles at it. The Alpha Baymax easily protected itself by activating its built-in energy shield. The Alpha Baymax swiftly jumped in the air and delivered a powerful flying kick, sending Grayson's Bot tumbling down.

Grayson shot a dirty look at Mr. Yama who was overseeing the match from his private box, stationed above the arena. It was clear that the match was not going in the direction it was supposed to be going and Grayson's frustration was starting to show. Grayson pressed the big red button on his controller. Immediately his bot's pincers transformed into rotating blades. Grayson's Bot then charged, fully prepared to take down the Alpha Baymax. At this point, the twins simply laughed. They quickly input the command for the Alpha Baymax to launch its rocket hands. Both hands launched from the Alpha Baymax's wrist and grabbed Grayson's Bot by the legs, holding it firmly in place. Unable to move Grayson's Bot stood there helpless.

"Alright, Alpha Baymax! Destroy!" The twins shouted simultaneously.

Immediately, a powerful beam of energy emitted from the Alpha Baymax's eyes. The beam hit Grayson's Bot and melted the entire thing, turning it into a puddle. The crowd erupted into a round of deafening cheers and applause. Grayson, in a fit of rage, threw his controller on the ground and stomped on it.

"You better fix this Yama!" he shouted loud enough for everyone to here.

Mr. Yama got out of his private box and stepped onto a floating elevator platform. The platform flew down and landed next to the announcer. Grayson rushed over to Yama and the two argued in whispers. Then Mr. Yama leaned over to the announcer and whispered something into his ear. The announcer the lifted the mic to his mouth to announce the winner.

"Ladies and gentleman! The winner is Gavener and Garen!"

The crowd erupted into cheers once more; Grayson wore a sour look on his face.

"However, before we hand out the prize. Our sponsor, the reigning champion has personally challenged the winners, in a double or nothing battle!"

The crowd stopped cheering and whispers of skepticism shot through the arena.

"Do the winners accept the challenge?" asked the announcer.

"Don't do it, guys!" Tadashi shouted to the twins.

Garen and Gavener looked at each other in contemplation before nodding in matched determination.

"We accept!" they said simultaneously.

Mr. Yama pulled out his controller and walked over to the arena. He pressed a button and down came a seven-foot giant robot. On one hand, the bot had a shield that also doubled as a buzzsaw and on its other hand a pincer claw.

"You boys are in for it now, no one has ever beat Big Yama," said Yama with a sneer.

Big Yama snapped its pincer and whirred its saw. The twins simply laughed. Mr. Yama drove Big Yama to charge at the Alpha Baymax, trying to end the fight quickly. But the Alpha Baymax swiftly dodged the attack and tripped Big Yama, who fell to the ground. The Alpha Baymax then quickly finished Big Yama with the same energy beam that destroyed Grayson's Bot. Just like that, it was over, Big Yama was now a melted pile of scrap. Mr. Yama let out a snarl.

"You stupid brats, you'll pay for that," he shouted, causing the crowd to boo him.

Mr. Yama looked around at the crowd and realized the situation wasn't going as smoothly as he intended. Suddenly a light bulb went on in his head. Once more, he whispered something to the announcer.

"The winners of today's tournament is Garen and Gavener! ...However, because of our 'recent' rule change, no contestant under the age of twenty-one is eligible to collect prize money. Therefore, the prize money will be awarded to runner-up Councilman Grayson! Congratulations to our new champions Garen and Gavener! Everyone give them a round of applause!"

The crowd, however, erupted into cries of outrage as they pelted the announcer with trash.

Garen and Gavener ran onto the arena where Mr. Yama stood laughing smugly. Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus rushed over; Tadashi and Hiro were close behind.

"How dare you go back on your own arrangement! Have you no honor, no integrity?" said Nadia clearly disgusted at the man's deplorable behavior.

"Can it girly, otherwise I'll have to hurt your pretty little face," said Yama smugly.

Before Xehanort and Eraqus could even think about defending Nadia, Garen and Gavener rushed at Mr. Yama in a fit of rage. Mr. Yama snapped his fingers and immediately the group was surrounded by his security guards. Two of them easily restrained Garen and Gavener.

"You can't do this! We need this money!" said Gavener shouted angrily

"I just did twerps, consider this a lesson in payback," he said with a sneer.

"Our mother is going to die if we don't get the money. Please show some compassion!" Garen begged.

Mr. Yama laughed.

"That's not my problem kid, that's what you get for embarrassing me," he said coldly. "Oh, I'm taking your Bot too, consider it your entry fee. Get theses clowns out of here."

Both Garen and Gavener wore matching looks of fury, both of them shaking in rage. Thoughts of anger and vengeance permeated from the two boys. Their anger, their desire for revenge, it was so powerful, they gave off the impression they were glowing with dark energy.

"You'll pay for this Yama!" they both snarled simultaneously.

Suddenly an aura of darkness surrounded the Alpha Baymax, completely enveloping it. The crimson armor began to transform into one of pure black, with a much harsher looking build. Its jet wings transformed into bat-like wings and it's eyes turned bright yellow. Its rocket boosted hand changed into menacing claws. A large emblem appeared on its chest. It was a black heart with a red X stitched over it. Garen and Gavener temporarily snapped out of their rage and looked at what used to be their Bot. Mr. Yama, Garen, and Gavener looked up at the monstrosity. The creature leered at and slowly the three attempted to back away from it. The newly born creature snarled, raised back it's claws and attacked.

* * *

A/N: My first cliffhanger chapter! *Gives evil grin* Pay close attention to this chapter there is a lot of foreshadowing and hints in regards to Garen and Gavener. Let's see who can figure it out. Hope you guys enjoy!


	17. San Fransokyo: Birth of the Gummi Ship

_"I_ _am studying material from the meteors that rained down that fateful night. What a find! The material is foreign to our world. It is elastic to the touch, and when two pieces are combined, they bond easily. None of the records even mention such a substance._

 _Was it introduced to this world when I opened the door? I wonder how many other such materials drift through the atmosphere of this tiny world... I wish I could soar off and find out! Could there be uncharted worlds up there? My curiosity never ceases to grow." Ansem Report 7_

* * *

Immediately Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus leaped into action. Xehanort quickly knocked Garen, Gavener, and Mr. Yamaha out of harm's way; Nadia and Eraqus summoned their Keyblades and blocked the incoming attack.

The creature knocked the siblings out the way and lumbered after Xehanort, Gardner, Gavener, and Mr. Yama. The creature pushed Garen and Gavener out the way, in a manner that was almost gentle. It pushed Xehanort aside in a much harsher manner, the force almost knocking him across the room. The creature then took a ferocious swing at Mr. Yama. Mr. Yama, in a panic, managed to avoid the attack by tripping in his attempt to run away.

"He's after Yama," said Xehanort, quickly catching onto to the fact the monster was targeting Mr. Yama.

Nadia and Eraqus both nodded in acknowledgement. Xehanort summoned his Ethereal Blades and transformed them in ropes. He wrapped them around Mr. Yama and pulled him into safety.

"Get the hell out of here!" shouted Xehanort.

Mr. Yama didn't need to be told twice and rushed out of the arena, where his body guards were already waiting with a getaway car. The creature then turned to Xehanort and roared in anger at the escape of his prey. Xehanort cracked his Ethereal ropes, wrapping them around the arms of the enraged creature, to contain it. Eraqus and Nadia swooped in, attempting to finish it off quickly. The creature roared even louder, flexing its arms, it snapped free from Xehanort's hold and swatted Nadia and Eraqus aside with relative ease. An aura of Darkness surrounded it, as it grew stronger on the feast of its own rage, its own thirst for revenge. It flexed its newly formed bat-like wings to a massive span, one thought in its mind.

 _"Y-Yama!"_ it said telepathically.

Nadia and Eraqus looked at the creature in shock, the creature had a mode of communication.

The creature look up and shot the same beam of energy it used during its fight with Grayson's and Mr. Yama's Bots. It aimed the beam at the ceiling and blasted a gigantic hole in the roof of the arena. It flexed its wings once more and rocketed out of the building.

" _Yama!_ " it roared on its way out.

Eraqus stumbled forward, trying to regain himself. He pointed at the giant hole in the roof. Looking at his sister questioningly.

"That was- Was that a Heartless?" Eraqus asked in a panicked voice.

Nadia slowly nodded.

"I-I think so.. I-I've never seen one like that before though,"she said in a strained voice."I-I-It spoke"

Out of everything about the situation, it was this that disturbed the trio the most. In the midst of their shared contemplation, Garen, Gavener, Tadashi and Hiro managed to make their way to the trio.

"What was that monster?" asked Garen.

"How did it assimilate with our Bot?" asked Gavener.

"Can we do that again?" Hiro asked excitedly.

Tadashi, however, grabbed Hiro by the wrist.

"No way little bro, you're going home right now," said Tadashi.

"Awww man, you ruin all the fun Tadashi," Hiro said, disappointed.

Tadashi turned to Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus.

"You guys need to track that thing and stop it," he said. "I got to take Tadashi home, but I'll meet you guys downtown afterward.

With those words, Tadashi pulled Hiro out of the arena and began to head home.

...

After Tadashi left Xehanort began checking over Nadia and Eraqus for injury. It was then that Garen and Gavener decided to speak up.

"This our fault isn't it," said Garen

Xehanort gave a questioning look.

"How is this your fault? It's not like something like this has ever happened to you before," he said reassuringly. "Just because it's your bot that turned into a Heartless, doesn't mean it's your fault.

Xehanort looked to Nadia and Eraqus for reassurance.

"Yeah guys, no need to beat your selves up. There is no way you could know that was going to happen," said Eraqus cheerfully.

Nadia, however, was looking at the twins with narrowed eyes. She appeared to be deeply analyzing them and Xehanort couldn't help but feel like she knew something that the rest of them didn't.

"Nadia?" Xehanort said, his tone concerned. "Are you okay?"

Nadia blinked, snapping out of her stupor.

"Sorry, was lost in thought...I-I'm sure you two have nothing to do with it," she said.

The way she said it, sounded like she was trying to convince herself. The twins slowly nodded, silently thanking the trio.

Eraqus frowned and put his hands behind his head. "The only problem now is figuring out how are we supposed to find this thing. This city is huge and we barely know how to get around."

Garen suddenly looked at his twin brother, a look of realization crossing his face. "Do you think our GPS tracer still functions properly. I know that monster has assimilated with our tech but is there a chance it still functions?"Gavener stepped away momentarily and grabbed his laptop from his bag. He opened it up and turned it on. After a couple of keystrokes, he looked up to the group, his cheeky smile plastered on his face.

"I don't know how, but the GPS tracer is still functioning. Perfectly in fact,"

"So, we can trace it?" asked Xehanort.

Gavener nodded

"It's currently flying over the San Fransokyo bridge. It doesn't appear to attacking anything at the moment...its looks like its searching for something," he said.

Nadia frowned. "I think it's pretty clear what it's looking for-" she began pacing around deep in thought. "-but how do we take advantage of that."

Xehanort turned to the twins. "Is there any way we can get Yama to help us out?"

Garen's brow furrowed in anger.

"Like I would ask that swine to help us with anything. Even if we did, there is no way he'd help anyway. The man is as selfish as they come, we'd have to pay an arm and a leg."

A light bulb lit up in Nadia mind.

"Maybe we can't get him to help us but odds are we can convince him to help himself," she said

Xehanort cottoning on pitched in.

"Is the San Fransokyo bridge the city's primary exit?" he asked Garen and Gavener.

Garen nodded. "Yeah, if we could convince Yama to exit the city, that would be his most likely route."

Xehanort nodded. "So, if we tip off Yama that the Heartless is still after him, do you think he'll leave the city?"

"Of course, he will," Garen snorted. "The man is an absolute coward."

"Good, we're going to warn him and then follow him. That way when that Heartless turns up we can ambush it," Xehanort explained.

"Wait, we're going to help this guy? After all he did to us," said Gavener, choked with slight anger.

"I'm with you brother, why should we help him," agreed Garen. "I get we have to stop that thing, but as far as I'm concerned we should let Yama handle his own mess."

Xehanort let out a sigh of exasperation but it was Nadia who stepped forward and put her foot down.

"No! I don't think you guys understand the severity of the situation. Heartless are dangerous, they devour entire worlds if given the chance. We're lucky that this Heartless has a one-track mind and isn't creating more Heartless. In any other circumstance, it would be incredibly easy, especially in a world with this many people centralized in one place," said Nadia clenching her fist before continuing.

"We as Keyblade wielders have a duty to uphold, protect the light and uphold the balance of the world. To protect everyone, we can, even those who don't necessarily deserve it." She looked at Garen directly in the eyes, meeting his angry stare with a look of sympathy. "I know you're hurting, believe me I understand where you're coming from. But this is bigger than any one individual, bigger than all of us. Sometimes we need to set aside our feelings and do what's best for everyone, not just what's best for ourselves.

Garen's look softened at Nadia's words. He looked over to his brother, who nodded in silent agreement.

"Okay Nadia, you're right, let's do it your way," he finally agreed.

"Um guys I hate to interrupt you but the Heartless isn't anywhere near the bridge. It looks like it's been on the mo-"started Eraqus, before being interrupted by loud ringing sound.

Gavener open his bag and pulled out his phone.

"It's Tadashi," he said before answering, putting him on speaker phone. "Hey Tadashi, what's up."

"Gavener, you guys have to get to Yama's. That Heartless just tore through downtown, it completely crushed our house," Tadashi said.

"Geesh, are you guys all right? Is your parents and Hiro all right?" Gavener asked

"Yes, they're fine. I told them to get out of the city, they just took Dad's car and are trying to see if they can find a way to get out," he said pausing slightly before continuing. "I'm not sure if you're aware but the whole town is outraged about what happened at the bot fight. I think the city is finally had enough, about an hour ago, the Mayor finally passed the law that makes gambling on Bot fights illegal. He also signed the warrant for the SFPD to move in on Yama. They just raided his home and apparently, they're chasing him. Looks like he's heading towards San Fransokyo Bridge."

Nadia's eyes widened, she looked quickly towards Garen and Gavener.

"Didn't you say that was the main primary exit of the city?" she asked.

"Yeah but..." started Garen before his eyes widened in realization. "Oh no... all those people...and Yama's leading that Heartless right to them."

Nadia looked at Xehanort and Eraqus.

"This is bad guys, before we could have controlled the situation, got less people involved. Now..." she said trailing off.

Xehanort clenched his fist. "It doesn't matter now, we have to act. The faster we catch up to that thing the less damage it can cause."

"Also, we do have one advantage. It only seems to be targeting Mr. Yama, it's not concerning itself with capturing hearts and breeding other Heartless," Eraqus pointed out.

"All right we need to move now. Gavener bring that laptop so we can track it. Xehanort..Nadia..Eraqus..you're our best shot at taking this thing down. We'll help you in any way we can." said Garen a fierce look in his eyes.

His twin brother put on an identical look and turned back to the phone.

"Tadashi head to the garage we'll meet you there in a few minutes," Gavener instructed.

"Okay, but why?" Tadashi asked.

"Because we're going to need some transportation," he said grinning cheekily. "And me and Garen have invented the ultimate transportation."

...

It took them a few minutes but they managed to get the garage without running into any trouble. When the got there, they found Tadashi, who rushed forward to meet the group.

"I got here as soon as I could," he said. "So, what's this invention that's going to help us."

Garen motioned for the group to follow him as he lead them all into the back of the garage. There stood a very large steel container sealed with two hand recognition locks. Garen and Gavener both walked up to the container and each placed their right hands on a lock. Once the hand successfully scanned and recognized them, the door swung wide open. Garen motioned for the group to stand back and clear some there was sufficient room, Garen took a remote out his pocket and pressed a button. There was a slight pause and out of the container hovered a bright red and yellow battleship. It was sleek in design and appeared to be fully weaponized. There was a collective look of awe in the room. Eraqus and Tadashi both moved forward to get a closer looker.

"Woah! This thing is amazing!" said Eraqus excitedly.

"This must be the secret project that you guys have been working on for the past few months," Tadashi said

"Yeah, we just finished it a little while ago," Gavener said proudly. "It's comprised completely of gummi blocks and is equipped with a ton of fun toys,"

Xehanort scratched his head in confusion. "What are gummi blocks?"

"After we opened that door, there was a bunch of meteors that scattered all throughout the city. They were made of this elastic material that only bonds with other meteor fragments," Garen explained. "We named them Gummi Blocks because of their composition, also Gavener wouldn't shut up about how he was craving gummi bears."

The group laughed in response.

"It took some tinkering but we managed to figure how to integrate it with our technology and that's how we were able to make this," continued Gavener, putting his hand on the ship in admiration. "What's even cooler is, after doing some test flights, we discovered that the ship might be capable of outer world travel."

"So, this thing is capable of flying to the outside world?" asked Xehanort.

"Well we haven't actually tried yet, but in theory it should be able to," explained Gavener.

"That's incredible!" exclaimed Eraqus.

Nadia rubbed chin in contemplation. "Those 'gummi blocks', they must be pieces of the shattered barrier that stops interworld travel. That's how the Heartless were able to enter this world. It's pretty incredible you were able to incorporate them into a mode of transport. Because they used to be part of the world's barrier, they indeed will be able travel between worlds."

"You sure know a lot about this Nadia," said Xehanort.

"Well, I am the top student at our school," she responded, winking flirtatiously.

"Are you sure about that?" Xehanort said, a hint of challenge in his voice.

Nadia moved dangerously close to Xehanort, causing him to nearly flinch.

"Oh, I'm sure," she said confidently, flashing Xehanort another wink.

Eraqus put both his hands behind his head, an amused look on his face. "Some things never change..."

"What school are you guys talking about?" asked Gavener.

"Well, to make a long story short our home world trains future and current Keyblade wielders," explained Eraqus.

"That sounds cool," said Gavener, clearly interested.

Garen, however, gave the group a nod, bringing the attention back to himself. He pointed his remote at the ship and pressed a button on his remote. The cockpit opened and gave the group entry to the inside of the ship. The inside was fully equipped with all sorts of equipment that lay beyond Xehanort, Eraqus, and Nadia's understanding. The room also had four pilot seats, something Tadashi took note of when taking inventory of the ship. Tadashi turned to the twins, a curious look on his face.

"Why are there four seats? Don't you only need two?" he asked them.

Garen gave a Tadashi a look, as if the answer was obvious.

"Come on Tadashi, how else are you and Hiro supposed to help pilot the ship," he said in an a-matter-of-fact tone. "You think we would have a maiden voyage with this thing without taking you two guys with us?"

Gavener nodded in agreement.

"Come on Tadashi," he said in amusement. "We couldn't celebrate our crowning achievement without our two best friends."

Tadashi broke into a smile a mile wide.

"Of course what was thinking," he said with a laugh. "Besides without me, you guys wouldn't last two days,"

The three friends laughed together, losing themselves in the moment. As Xehanort observed them, he was reminded of Eraqus and Nadia, and how much they meant to him. Ever since he departed the Islands, they took him into their world and cared for him unconditionally. They had become what Tadashi and Hiro were to Garen and Gavener. A family away from home, and he was suddenly struck with how much that had meant to him. Xehanort closed his eyes, as he too took in the moment, savoring it.

Unfortunately, it was then a large crash sounded outside of the garage and the group instantly snapped to attention. Exiting the ship, they ventured outside to see what the commotion was. They were immediately greeted by sounds of people screaming and the blaring sound of SFPD sirens, as multiple squad cars swarmed in and surround what appeared to be a crashed car. The chief of SFPD exited his vehicle armed with a megaphone; the other officers followed suit surrounding the halted car they had chased to the scene.

"Give it up Yama, you're completely surrounded. It's all over!" the chief shouted through the megaphone.

Mr. Yama muscled his way out of the wrecked car, and arrogant smirk plastered on his vile face.

"Like hell I will, I own this city," he said arrogantly.

The SFPD prepared to make their move and apprehend Mr. Yama, but before anyone could make a move a giant roar sounded from high above. The crowd collectively looked to the sky and were greeted with a menacing visual. The Heartless born from the twin's bot had finally made its appearance, and looked larger and more powerful than the last time Xehanort had saw it. It's bat like wings stretched powerfully as it let of a terrifying roar.

 _"Yama!"_ it screeched before diving to the crowd.

Mr. Yama immediately made a bolt for it, as the Heartless landed harshly, swiping several police officers out of its way. It grabbed two police vehicles and hurled them in Yama's direction, both which barely missed hitting them. Yama fainted, more afraid then he had ever been in his life. The Heartless roared, prepared to assault Yama again, when Xehanort summoned his Ethereal blades. He transformed them into whips and tied the creature's arms, managing to temporarily restrain the creature.

"We need to get these people out of here! NOW!" Xehanort cried urgently.

Nadia and Eraqus rushed into action, immediately casting Reflega shield on the citizens. Tadashi rushed to the chief.

"Sir, we have to get these people out of here. That creature is dangerous!" Tadashi urged the officer.

Having dealt with the damage caused by the creature earlier that day, the chief did not argue. He and the remaining officers began herding the crowd out of harm's way. Xehanort continued to struggle trying to maintain control of the Heartless, as it attempted to reach Yama, who was starting to stir again. The officers had just managed to reduce the crowd to a very small amount, allowing Eraqus and Nadia focus on further helping Xehanort restrain the Heartless. At the same time, Mr. Yama, had also come to and was starting to realize he was in the same predicament as before he passed out. He quickly ran to a blue car that was parked by a nearby sidewalk. As Tadashi watched on, he noticed the car looked familiar.

"Screw this, I'm getting the hell out here!" he shouted.

He opened the car door and got inside. Fortunately for him the car still had the key in the ignition. Mr. Yama started the car and sped off. The Heartless roared in absolute fury, livid that its target escaped yet again. It violently swung its arms, ripping itself from the trio's restraints.

" _YAMA!_ " it screeched, expanding its wings, and flying after Yama.

"Dammit, we have to stop that thing-"Xehanort started before being interrupted by a couple who were being restrained by officers and were clearly distressed.

"You don't understand, our son was in that car!" said the lady of the couple.

At those words, Tadashi, Garen, and Gavener turned to the couple simultaneously, immediately recognizing their voices.

"Mom...Dad?" asked Tadashi rushing over to his parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hamada!" shouted the twins simultaneously, running over to join Tadashi and his parents.

Tadashi's mother and father were in hysterics struggling violently with the officers, tears streaming down their faces.

"Mom...Dad… are you all right?" asked Tadashi.

Garen looked around then narrowed his eyes.

"Wait a minute," he said with short pause. "Where is Hiro?"

Tadashi's eyes widened in realization as Mrs. Hamada burst into more tears.

"Oh Tadashi it's awful..everything happened so quickly...Hiro he was sleeping in the back seat...the officers wouldn't let us get back to the car," she explained.

Mr. Hamada comforted his wife before turning to his son.

"Tadashi, Hiro was still in the car. The one that Mr. Yama just stole."

* * *

It's been a while but I am back. I still plan to finish this story and see it through to the end. Mostly because it's a bug in the back of my head lol. Sorry in advance for the cliff hanger on this chapter, but the next chapter is going to be important and as the San Fransokyo arc is coming to a close, there were still elements I wanted to introduce without being overwhelming. Hopefully you all enjoy and look forward to what 2017 has in store for this story.


	18. San Fransokyo: Their Xs Awakened

_"Anger and Hate are supreme."-Xemnas_

* * *

At Mr. Hamada' words, Tadahsi found himself frozen, momentarily stunned, then his features contorted into a mask of terror, and outrage. He turned towards Gavener and Garen, who wore the same look of anger.

"We need to stop Yama and get Hiro back, now!" he said determinedly.

The twin nodded in complete agreeance, matching Tadashi's determination.

"Don't worry we will," Garen said in an almost silent voice. "No matter the cost, we'll save him.

"There's no way in hell, we'll let anyone hurt Hiro," said Gavener.

Tadashi's parents pushed past the officers and joined their son and the twins.

"Wait, if you're going after Hiro, we're going with you," said Mrs. Hamada.

Garen hesitated, but one look at the Hamada's faces, he knew it would be futile to argue. He pulled his remote out of his pocket and pointed it in the air, pressing a button. The Gummi Ship instantly flew out of the garage and landed in front of them. He pressed another button and the cockpit opened up. He then turned to Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus.

"We need to stop this thing, it's partially our responsibility," he said solemnly. "We'll take the Hamadas, do think you can help us with the Heartless?"

"Do even need to ask," said Eraqus, placing his hands behind his head.

"I told you before, it's our sworn duty to uphold the order of the worlds. It's our job to help you," Nadia said with a smile.

"Don't worry guys, we'll get Hiro back safe and sound," said Xehanort.

Tadashi, Garen, and Gavener all nodded; Mr. and Mrs. gave the trio a smile, grateful for their help.

"Alright let's get moving then, we need to catch up Yama and that Heartless," said Garen in an authoritative tone. "I integrated the the GPS tracker onto the ship's navigation computer, so just follow us."

He herded the Hamadas and his brother in the ship and began prepping to take off. Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus stepped away from the ship. They then activated their Armor Triggers. Eraqus and Nadia summoned their respective Keyblades and tossed them into the air, transfiguring them into their glider bike and glider board respectively. Xehanort materialized his Ethereal Blades and tossed them into the air, morphing them into a pair of wings that attached to his armor. As the Gavener and Garen lifted off Xehanort, Nadia and Eraqus followed suit. The chase for Hiro had begun.

...

It took them only a short while to catch up. Even without Garen and Gavner's tracking device implanted into the Heartless, Mr. Yama and the Heartless made their trail crystal clear as destruction was left in their chase across the city. As Xehanort flew higher overhead, he spotted the Hamada's car driving recklessly onto the highway that headed towards the San Fransokyo Bridge. The Heartless was in hot pursuit blasting cars and pushing aside any obstacle that got in between it and its target. Xehanort motioned to Nadia and Eraqus.

"It's over here!" he shouted, while the Gummi Ship change course to follow the Heartless.

The Heartless continued to cause carnage, single-minded in its pursuit of Mr. Yama. Each time it grew closer and closer to catching them. As they chase neared the San Fransokyo Bridge the Heartless managed to get a clean swipe on the Hamada's car. The car swerved thrown off balance by the blow, fortunately, Mr. Yama managed to get the car back under control.

The Heartless roared angrily and prepared to swipe again. Xehanort dove and transformed his Ethereal blades, materializing them back into his hands. He transformed them into ropes and quickly wrapped them around the Heartless' arms. Using the Heartless as an anchor, he pulled himself down towards the Heartless. The momentum propelled Xehanort, allowing him to kick the Heartless with great force, causing it to topple over. The Heartless roared angrily, swiping Xehanort away with a blow to the chest.

Mr. Yama had taken the moment of distraction to further the distance between himself and the Heartless managing to get to the bridge. The Heartless, however, was not going to allow Mr. Yama to escape so easily. It spread its wings and took off into the air. Eraqus and Nadia tried to intercept it, but they were quickly swiped aside. The Heartless charged up and let out a powerful beam of energy that blasted a hole in the center of the bridge. Mr. Yama swerved and avoided the hole just in time, completely stopping the car. He opened the door and stepped out, prepared to run. The Heartless roared in triumph and lumbered after Mr. Yama.

"Why the hell is this thing after me?" he asked in a panicked voice.

Xehanort ran forward and once again used his Ethereal Blades to restrain the Heartless. Nadia and Eraqus landed on the ground, instantly calling back their Keyblades. The pair pointed their Keyblades and shot chains made of light energy to further hold the Heartless. As the three Keyblade wielders, restrained the Heartless roared in anger; Garen brought the Gummi Ship to a safe landing, the twins and the Hamadas then exited the ship. Garen and Gavener rushed forward.

"Yama, where is Hiro?" asked Tadashi.

"Relax, Hamada, the kid is conked out in the back seat," said Mr. Yama. "Kid sleeps like a log, to be honest."

"Mr. Yama! Please, can you grab him and get over here," said Gavener. "Please, we can protect you guys."

Mr. Yama's sneer once more plastered itself onto his face.

"No way you little squirts! I don't know what is going on here, but I'm getting the hell out of here," he said

"Dammit Yama, you bastard!" cried Garen his eyes glowing with rage.

The Heartless suddenly glowed with dark energy as its body expanded, making it harder for Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus to maintain their hold.

" _Yama!"_ it screeched.

With a sudden surge of strength, the Heartless flexed its body and broke free of Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus' restraints. Mr. Yama froze, having previously been prepared to run, was now caught in front of the brutal Heartless that stood before him.

"Look out!" cried Xehanort as the Heartless prepared to swipe at Mr. Yama.

Nadia, reacting quickly, cast Reflega onto Mr. Yama, just in time to block an incoming blow. She jumped swiftly into the air and delivered a flying heel kick. Nadia, who was deceptively strong, managed to knock the Heartless over.

"Move in, now!" she cried.

Xehanort and Eraqus rushed in; Mr. Yama turned around and ran behind the car. Xehanort slammed his Ethereal Blades into the ground causing jagged bursts of earth based magic to sprout from the ground with his Quake magic. Eraqus swiped his Keyblade sending forth a volley wind-based energy. The barrage of the two attacks knocked over the Heartless once more.

"We got to keep it away from Yama and Hiro," Xehanort shouted to the other two.

The three friends formed a perimeter around the Heartless. Xehanort quickly warped around the Heartless leaving behind bits of Ethereal energy behind. When he was done, the Heartless was surrounded by bits of Ethereal energy. Xehanort brought his hands down causing the bits of energy to rain down, impacting the Heartless with devastating force. The Heartless fell to its knees, reeling from the effects of the Ethereal blasts.

Nadia and Eraqus prepared to strike the dark creature down when it once more got to its feet. It swung at Nadia knocking her aside. Eraqus prepared to strike in retaliation, but the Heartless blocked the blow. Immediately after, it blasted at Eraqus with its energy beam. Eraqus dodge rolled underneath the blast, barely avoiding taking its full impact. The blast missed Eraqus and landed near the car causing the concrete to crack. Xehanort took note of the crack. The combination of the earlier blasts and the destruction the battle was putting more strain on the bridge. What was worse the damage was getting closer and closer to Hiro and Mr. Yama.

Nadia caught Xehanort's eyes and the two silently exchanged information, Nadia nodded in understanding. Xehanort tossed his second Ethereal Blade to Nadia. Each using a blade, they each grabbed onto an arm and ran the opposite direction from Yama and Hiro. With all their strength, they began dragging The Heartless away. The Heartless roared furiously, desperate to reach its target.

Eraqus cottoned on and motioned to Garen and Gavener. Gavener, Garen, Tadashi and his parents began inching their way towards the car. Unfortunately the Heartless took notice of this, further enraging it. It once more broke free of their attempts to restrain it. The dark creature picked up two nearby cars and flung them into their direction. Garen and Gavener managed to pull Mr. and Mrs. Hamada out of the way just in time. Tadashi also managed to avoid the attack, though it was a close call.

" _Yama!"_ cried the Heartless.

The rage of the creature was growing by the minute and it was getting harder and harder to control the situation, especially with Hiro practically being held a hostage. There was too much going on. It was at that moment, something happened to make matters even worse. It was then that Hiro decided to awaken and make his presence known.

"Mom...Dad...Tadashi...what's going on? Hiro asked stepping out of the car.

Everyone froze, even time seemed to momentarily freeze.

"Hiro, please get back in the car. Everything is going to be okay," said Tadashi softly

Hiro, however, was still disoriented from just waking up and was still not comprehending the magnitude of the situation.

"Tadashi, I don't understand, how did I get here and what's Mr. Yama doing here?" he asked pointing to Mr. Yama.

At the mere mention of Mr. Yama's name, the Heartless let out a terrifying roar. It seemed that it had finally reached the end of its tether. It charged itself full of dark energy, turning itself to face Mr. Yama and Hiro.

"Mommy! Tadashi! I-I'm scared," said Hiro in a frightened voice.

"My baby...don't worry, I'm coming," said Mrs. Hamada.

Everything happened in slow motion. Mrs. Hamada pushed her way past Tadashi and the twins, running towards her endangered son. The Heartless charged it's beam to full capacity, just as Mrs. Hamada reached her son. Her husband also ran forward, pushing past the twins, he cried for his wife.

"Irene! Watch out!" he cried.

He joined his wife, as the two parent wrapped themselves around their son, desperate to protect him at all cost. It was then the Heartless fired its blast, a burst of pure dark energy firing itself in their direction. It was too late to stop it from reaching its target.

"NO!" cried Tadashi.

An explosion of dark energy crackled through the air as the blast hit its target directly. Dust and debris rose from the ground, obscuring their view, hiding the inevitable sight of what could only be the end of the three Hamadas.

The dust eventually cleared revealing Mr. and Mrs. Hamada strewn on the ground, still clinging to their now limp son. Tadashi fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. Gavener and Garen stood in shock, shaking with emotion.

Suddenly the bodies began to shift. Tadashi instantly looked up as his beloved little brother miraculously began to stir. Hiro sat up and looked at his lifeless parents, unable to comprehend that they had given their lives to save his. He shook his mother, then his father.

"Mommy, wake up," he said, his voice trembling. "Dad, come on. You said we were going to get ice cream."

Tears began streaming down Hiro's face as he suddenly began to grasp the permanence of what had just happened. He began pounding on his parent's corpses.

"Come on Dad, we were going to get ice cream," said little Hiro, trying to deny the fact that they were gone. "Gavener was going to get sea salt, Garen was going to get blueberry, and Tadashi was going to get boring chocolate and I was going to get Neopolitan...just like we always do."

Hiro began sobbing hysterically. Unable to cope with the gruesome deaths of his parents, he slumped to the ground and passed out. Tadashi, Gavener, and Garen ran to him immediately. Garen glared furiously at Mr. Yama. He pulled Mr. Yama out from behind the car and held him by the scruff of his shirt.

"You damn bastard, you could have helped them!" he cried angrily.

"It's not my fault that they were trying to be heroes," he said smugly. "They should have run when they had the-"

Garen did not let finish his sentence. He punched him square in the jaw knocking him out. Mr. Yama fell to the floor in a heap. Suddenly the Heartless began flexing itself, prepared to resume its attack. Tadashi gathered Hiro into his arms as Garen and Gavener stepped forward, both of the brothers trembling with a surge of emotion.

"Our mother was always in the hospital growing up. It wasn't her fault but she wasn't always around to raise us," said Garen, trembling with anger.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hamada, however, were always looking out for us," said Gavener, the thirst for vengeance permeating his every word. "They took us in, treated us like their own sons."

"You'll pay for this!" the twins screamed simultaneously.

An aura of darkness began surrounding the two boys, the air crackled with electricity as the darkness grew stronger. The Heartless stood there in anticipation as the aura of darkness grew larger and larger.

Nadia and Eraqus both suddenly collapsed clutching their chests in pain. Xehanort rushed over to the two.

"Are you guys okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so-" started Eraqus still clutching his chest.

They were stopped short by the twin, whose aura of darkness shot to the sky, as they cried out. The power emanating from the two as immense, as miraculously they were able to bring the darkness into focus. They both lifted their right hand as the dark energy began concentrating there. Once the full power materialized itself there it dissipated. What replaced it shocked everyone.

Somehow, without any sign of undergoing the Inheritance Ceremony, Gavener and Garen had summoned Keyblades.

* * *

This chapter was intense to write. I hope I did it justice. This is a pivotal moment in the series and will introduce a concept that will carry on throughout the series. I'm curious to see if anyone else has picked up on how Garen and Gavener summoned their Keyblades. As always I hope you guys enjoy and I would love to hear some feedback.


	19. San Fransokyo: Pyrrhic Victory

_"They say that every star up there is another world. The light_ is _their hearts, and it's shining down on us like a million lanterns."-Terra Birth by Sleep_

* * *

Xehanort took a couple steps backward, shocked at what he had just witnessed. Eraqus and Nadia looked on in equal surprise, unable to fathom how the twins had managed to materialize Keyblades.

"That's impossible, I didn't sense the power within them at all," said Eraqus, as he looked at his sister for reassurance. "Did you?"

Nadia shook her head, utterly confused.

"There is no way...unless," she said more to herself than to the others. "Are they really?..."

Garen and Gavener looked at their Keyblades, marveling at the weapon they never knew they possessed the power to hold. Gavener's Keyblade had taken the motif of his formerly used Ethereal Chakrams. The guard was comprised of a Chakram. Two pillars of flames made of the design of the blade's body, protruding from the top of the guard. The two columns met at the top where they joined, overlapped by the flaming skull caricature that was also blazoned on Gavener's hoodie. While one of the caricature's sockets were hollow, the other held a single blue eye. Flames protruded from the side of the skull, forming the traditional teeth of the Keyblade. The keychain for the Keyblade was a single Chakram with a blue eye in the center.

Garen's Keyblade was much more complex in a design, bearing a motif derived from his formerly wielded Claymore. The guard was comprised of two jagged halves that connected slightly above the grip, leaving an opening for the grip to extend further. Mirror image crescent moons lay at the base of blade overlapping blade and the guard, in between the two moons lay a single blue eye. The blade itself had a rugged elegance to it and a decent reach as well. At the top blade, on the outer side, a smaller guard rounded the blade, closing it in. The teeth of the blade were very similar to the edge of his former Claymore, with further extending teeth.

The Heartless froze before the two brothers, staring intently at the newly formed Keyblades. Perhaps, like Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus, it was curious as to how the two acquired the Keyblade. It slowly raised its hand and as if to grab the twins. It hesitated and then put its hand back down. Raising its head once more, it surprised all of them by speaking.

 _"L-Love becomes Fear and Fear creates Anger!"_ it said in a raspy voice. " _Anger births Revenge! Revenge spawns Hate! Hate chased by Lust! Lust parallels Greed! One by one they gather, one by one they rise! In the Ark, they will survive until the day in which they clash...the light expired, the world destroyed, the darkness shall outlast!_ _"_

With those words, it flexed its arms as its dark aura grew even stronger. For the first time since it had appeared, it swung at the twins with significant force. Fortunately, Garen and Gavener had enough awareness to dodge out of harm's way. Recomposing himself, Xehanort took a quick assessment of the situation. With Garen and Gavener now wielding Keyblades, perhaps they had enough fighting force to take down the Heartless once and for all. However, the Heartless' power was also increasing the angrier it got, not to mention that Tadashi, Hiro, Mr. Yama were also variables to consider. Shaking his head, he quickly came up with a plan and sprung into action. He closed in on the Heartless and used his Ethereal blades to rope the legs of the Heartless. The dark creature roared in anger, swinging its large fist at Xehanort. He rolled under the creatures attack and quickly ran underneath its leg. Taking advantage of the Heartless' confusion, Xehanort, using the creature's own body as a vault, swung himself over it. With his Ethereal Blades still tied to his legs and Xehanort's momentum as the counterweight, the Heartless' feet were swept from under it, causing it to topple to the ground. Landing safely on the ground Xehanort marshaled the rest of the group into action.

"Tadashi, get Hiro to the Gummi Ship. Garen, Gavener, grab the Hamadas, get to the ship," he said before turning to the Eraqus and Nadia. "Hold off the Heartless, I'll help the others get to the ship."

Mr. Yama, in a panic, motioned to the group.

"Hey, what about me?" he asked

Xehanort rolled his eye in disdain, as despicable a human being as he was, Mr. Yama was the Heartless' main target. As if to prove his point, the Heartless got to its feet and pointed its hand at Mr. Yama. A blast of dark energy shot from its hand and headed straight for Mr. Yama. This time, however, Xehanort was ready. Quick as a flash, Xehanort cast a barrier around the large man, blocking the energy beam Xehanort quickly cast Magnega and dragged Mr. Yama from danger. He then turned to Nadia and Eraqus.

"Hold it off while we get to the ship."

Nadia and Eraqus moved in, placing themselves between Xehanort and the creature. Using their distraction, Xehanort used Magnega to bring Mr. Yama to the ship. Once there, he released the spell and dropped Mr. Yama in a heap.

"Hey, watch what you're doing," he said menacingly.

"Beggars can't be choosers, now get on the ship," snarled Xehanort in retort.

Mr. Yama looked back at Nadia and Eraqus, who were just barely holding off the Heartless. He quickly stumbled his way onto the ship and Xehanort quickly followed suit. Upon entering the ship, Mr. Yama was instantly met with looks of disdain from Garen and Gavener.

"What the hell is he doing here?" asked Garen angrily.

Xehanort sighed in exasperation.

"We don't have time for this, we need to help Nadia and Eraqus take that thing down. Gavener met Xehanort with a fierce look, determined to argue.

"What if I don't want to tak-"

Suddenly the Heartless grabbed Nadia and Eraqus and tossed them like rag dolls. That's all it took to boil Xehanort's blood, he grabbed Garen by the shirt and drew him in close. "I don't give a damn what you want or don't want, my friends are in danger. Now quit complaining and get this damn thing off the ground!"

Gavener rubbed the back of his head apologetically.

"Sorry Xehanort, you're right. Come on let's go help Nadia and Eraqus,"

Garen motioned to his brother who took the co-pilot seat which activated the secondary controls. Suddenly Garren's phone began to ring, followed shortly by Gavener's phone. Under the circumstances, they didn't have the time to entertain phone calls, the two brothers both clicked ignored and returned their attention back to the controls of the ship. Then they lifted the ship off the ground and took off. They steered the ship toward the Heartless and Gavener began firing the ship's blasters, knocking the dark creature off balance. The Heartless then swung at the Gummi Ship which the twins managed to skillfully evade. Swing the ship back around they aimed for the Heartless and increased their speed by a tremendous amount, fully prepared to ram the Heartless. The ship flew into the Heartless at full force, knocking it back several feet. Using the Heartless' disoriented state, Garen steered the ship towards Eraqus and Nadia. Once there, he opened the cockpit and motioned for Xehanort to attend his friends.

Xehanort jumped from the ship and quickly ran to where his fallen friends lay, checking them for any sustained injuries. As the two began to stir, he signaled Garen that his two friends were okay. Garen smiled in relief, though the group's relief was short-lived as the Heartless began to once again stir. Gavener looked at his brother a worried look painted on his face.

"What do we do now?" he asked. "We need a plan to stop that thing."

Garen rubbed his chin in contemplation then looked toward Tadashi who was tending his younger brother. With a sudden air of apprehension, he finally aired what he was thinking.

"Hey Tadashi, remember that robot integration system we were working on?" he asked.

Tadashi looked at his friend an almost grim look painted on his face. "Yeah, the one that was too taxing on the nervous system to use..."

"Well, I incorporated the technology into the ship-" Garen started before Tadashi interrupted him.

"What do you mean you incorporated it into the ship. That technology is too dangerous, it could easily fry your nervous system!" said Tadashi almost angrily. "There was a reason why we agreed to scrap the project."

Garen sighed and nodded. "Look, I know it's dangerous but I kept working on the technology. I pretty much worked out all the kinks-" Tadashi gave him a look of skepticism. "I figured it would be a useful addition to this ship's transformation function."

"It's still too dangerous, especially if you've only 'pretty much' worked out all the bugs," Tadashi responded. "Have you even tested it yet?"

Garen rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I haven't got a chance to test it under real battle conditions but no time like the present right..."

Tadashi rolled his eyes all the way to the back of his head. "Garen, I love you like my brother, you're a genius, but sometimes you're a real idiot."

"I second that," Gavener chimed in.

"Look, it's our only option right now, plus I configured it to be operated by two users in order to lessen the stress on a single operator," Garen explained.

Tadashi nodded in approval. "Yes, that would significantly cut the stress on the operators but what about the power source. If the system draws too much from the operators, their bodies could completely shut down."

Garen shook his head.

"I reconfigured the system to mainly draw power from the power core that Gavener and I made from that energy we took from our World's heart. The energy is self-sustaining and powerful enough to support the interface without drawing too much from the operators," he explained.

Tadashi shook his fist in triumph.

"That's brilliant! In theory, it should be enough to work the Bot Integration System," he said excitedly. "But how does that technology help us now, we don't have a bot to integrate with."

"Come on Tadashi," said Gavener coyly. "We're the greatest roboticist in San Fransokyo. You really think we would build a fully functional battleship without adding a mech mode.

Tadashi grinned. "Does that mean?..."

Garen nodded."Yes, this ship is fully capable of transforming into a functioning mech-" Garen motioned to the third pilot seat. "-But we need your help to pilot the legs."

"Wait, why do I have to be the legs?" asked Tadashi, almost pouting.

"Because Garen and I have abilities that are better utilized in the arms and that's where the two us will be integrating our powers," Garen explained in exasperation.

"Alright let's get this show on the road because tall, dark and dangerous is back on its feet," said Gavener.

Garen grabbed the micro-speaker that connected to the ship loudspeaker.

"Xehanort, can you three hold that thing off and buy us some time. I got a plan but we're going to need a couple minutes to get ready," he said into the speaker.

Xehanort flashed Garen a thumbs up sign and nodded to Nadia and Eraqus to ready themselves.

The mechanized Heartless had finally gotten to its feet, thoroughly annoyed at being kept from its target. It slowly began making its way toward the ship that held its sole target. Xehanort summoned his Ethereal Blades and ran towards the creature, stopping directly in front of it. He then slammed his blades into the ground, channeling them underground he split them up and willed them upward. Multiple blades of Ethereal energy shot from the ground forming a cage of solid energy around it and trapping it. Xehanort began channeling his energy on containing the Heartless, nodding to Nadia and Eraqus.

"See if you guys can weaken it now, we need to buy Garen and Gavener some time!" he shouted.

Nadia and Eraqus materialized their Keyblades and began blasting the Heartless with their shotlock attacks. The Heartless, trapped in the cage, took the full brunt of the barrage. It roared in anger, slamming its fists against Xehanort's Ethereal cage. Xehanort, however, stood his ground and continued to channel his energy into maintaining the cage's hold.

Meanwhile, on the ship, Garen and Gavener were making their final preparations to initiate their transformation sequence. After giving the Tadashi a quick rundown on operating the controls, the group made sure the Mr. Yama and the Hamadas were safely secure in the transformation safety pod. The pod was designed to safely carry passengers during the transformation sequence. Once more, Garen's phone began to ring followed by the insistent ring of his brother's phone. Needing to fully concentrate on their preparation both opted to ignore the calls, placing their phones in a nearby storage drawer. With the slight distraction out of the way, the two brothers returned to their work. After making sure everything was properly calibrated and functioning, Garen, and Gavener sat in their seats and prepared to activate the Bot Integration System. Garen gave his twin brother a look of worry.

"Are you scared?" he asked his brother.

Gavener nodded his head."Of course, who wouldn't be?"

Garen took a look back at Tadashi, who had been with them through everything, who was like their brother. It wasn't fair that Hiro and Tadashi had to lose their parents, and Garen couldn't help but feel responsible for. The guilt inside of him was crushing, and one look at his twin told him that, he too, felt the same. They had to do this and avenge the Hamadas. Even if the relief that would follow was only minimal, they had to set things right. With one more look at Tadashi, he returned his gaze to Gavener.

"I don't know if this will work and I'm a little scared too. After all, we're about to fight a giant monster who could easily kill us..." Garen let out a sigh. "But we have to do this, we have to make sure that Mr. and Mrs. Hamada didn't die in vain...I won't let the chance they gave us go to waste, even if it costs me my life."

Gavener wiped his nose cockily.

"Come on bro, you're not going down... not unless I go with you!" he said with a grin. The two brothers bumped fist and strapped themselves into their seats.

"To the end Gavener?" Garen asked his brother.

"To the end, Garen," Gavener replied.

Garen pressed a button on the control panel that began the integration process. "Initiating Bot Integration System now." The neuron transmitters attached themselves onto the spines of Garen and Gavener, once transformed it allow the ship's mech mode to mimic the twins movements and abilities. The monitor showed the integration to be stable, all of the twins vitals appeared to be normal. Garen moved his hand to the transformation control panel and began flipping the initiation switches to prepare the system to activate its mech mode. The ship began its transformation, thrusters extended to become legs, the sides moved to form arms and the cockpit made up the head. Garen pressed a button on the cockpit and from a distance, the sound of rockets could be heard as auxiliary Gummi pieces, prepared ahead of time, zoomed toward the mech attaching itself to fill in the torso and armor the arms and legs. The wings detached from sides and reattached to the back of the torso. When the transformation was complete, a fully weaponized mech stood before them, towering over the mechanized Heartless.

The Heartless leered angrily at the new threat that stood before it. It roared loudly, its anger increasing tenfold. Its body surrounded itself in dark aura, growing and increasing in strength on a feast of its own rage, drinking its thirst for vengeance. The Heartless began to literally grow in size as Xehanort struggled to restrain it within his Ethereal cage. Its size now matched that of Garen and Gavener's mech and with another roar of anger, it flexed it's body and burst free from Xehanort's restraints. From inside the mech, Garen, Gavener, and Tadashi prepared for combat, readying their mech in a combative stance.

"Alright guys, it's now or never," said Garen.

"I'm all set on my end," Tadashi voiced.

"Let's kick some Heartless ass!" said Gavener with a smirk.

Garen pulled the loudspeaker from the control panel."Xehanort, Nadia, Eraqus, we'll need your help. Provide us with backup and we can take this thing down!"

Xehanort flashed a thumbs up at the giant mech. Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus ran forward. Nadia and Eraqus threw their Keyblades into the air and willed them to transform. The two Keyblades combined and transformed into a large battle glider capable of holding two riders.

"Xehanort, you hold the ground, while Eraqus and I back up the boys from the air," said Nadia.

Xehanort nodded as Eraqus and Nadia hopped onto the battle glider and took off to the skies fire burst of energy at the giant monstrosity before them. Xehanort summoned his Ethereal Blades, combining them together and surging more power into it. Once complete, Xehanort held a large blade of Ethereal energy. Holding the blade steady, he rushed forward slashing fiercely at the Heartless' legs.

Inside the Gummi Mech, Garen, Gavener, and Tadashi moved in to attack. Tadashi, using the controls, sent the Heartless staggering with a powerful kick to its torso. Gavener and Garen took advantage of the opening and began pummeling at the creature with a flurry of punches. As the Heartless staggered, it let out a roar of fury. Gathering dark energy in its hand, the Heartless prepared to swing back at them. Nadia and Eraqus took the opportunity to ram into the Heartless at high speed, the impact of their glider causing the Heartless to fall backward.

The Heartless was now enraged, looking around wildly, it spotted Xehanort nearby. In an act of spite, it swung at Xehanort, flinging him several feet. It got up and began charging dark energy into its hand prepared to blast Xehanort with it. Nadia in a panic motioned for her brother to separate their glider back into two. With breakneck speed, she flew overhead and leaped from her glider, landing swiftly between the Heartless and Xehanort. The heartless released the energy firing it at Nadia and Xehanort, the blast was powerful enough to obliterate them both. Nadia quickly called her Keyblade back to her hand.

"I hope this works." Twirling her Keyblade in a defensive flourish and then pointing toward the sky, she called out. "Refleza!" Immediately a large and powerful barrier surrounded both Xehanort and barrier not only reflected the heartless' attack but sent it back to him with double its original strength. The heartless was hammered with the force of its own attack. Nadia took the opportunity to check on Xehanort.

"Are you okay Xehanort?" she asked tenderly.

Xehanort pulled himself to his feet, shaking his cobwebs. "A little bruised but now's our chance to beat this thing."

Nadia nodded, helping steady himself. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," Xehanort said nodding, materializing his Ethereal Blades once more. "Come on, if we can contain that thing then maybe we can give Garen and the others a chance to finish it off for good."

Just as he spoke, the Heartless began to stir getting back on its feet. Garen, Gavener, and Tadashi moved in trying to keep it down. Raising the arms of the mech, they began firing blasts of energy at the Heartless. Moving in closer, they pummeled it with a powerful flurry of punches. But the Heartless only got angrier, retaliating with blows of its own, fiercely matching the Gummi Mech blow for blow.

"We need help restraining it guys!" Garen shouted through the loudspeakers.

In understanding, Nadia, and Eraqus rushed into action; Xehanort followed suit. Nadia and Eraqus flanked the large creature on both if its sides, using the Light Burst Chains, they managed to restrain both if its arms. Xehanort felt a moment of uncertainty, still shaken slightly by the Heartless' previous attack. It was here Xehanort's lack of Keyblade was starting to show. While Xehanort was still capable of powerful feats with his ethereal blades he was unsure of how effective they were in this fight. Thus far he had only got knocked around. He lifted his hand, calling the Keyblade from the depths of his heart. But nothing came, after all this, in a moment dire need, still, it would not come.

"Xehanort snap out of it!" shouted Nadia as the Heartless began pulling against her restraints. "We need you."

Xehanort shook himself, it did not matter at the moment, Keyblade or not his friends still need his help. Xehanort felt a sudden rush of power flow through him and instantly his ethereal blades appeared into his hands. Instead of their usual blue hue, they had changed into a shade of brown. Xehanort felt a burst of power flowing through them, much more then he had previously had. He suddenly felt a strong pull to the energy flowing subtly in the ground beneath him. Instinctively, Xehanort knew what to do. He ran forward and planted his new incarnate of Ethereal blade into the ground. He circled the creature summoning blades and planting like spears in the ground surrounding the Heartless. The Heartless was now surrounded by spears of ethereal energy, it looked around itself in an almost curious manner. Xehanort then raised both his hands in the air and cried out. "Stalagmitza!"

The spears of earth-based ethereal energy grew instantly from where Xehanort planted them. Tripling in size and power the pierce straight through the Heartless in dozens of place all around its body. The Heartless tried to move but the combination of Nadia and Eraqus, alongside Xehanort's attacks, held the dark creature firmly in place. It roared angrily at its inability to move.

"Xehanort finish it off!" shouted Eraqus.

Xehanort shook his head. "I can't! If I finish it off with my Ethereal Blades, it will just come back eventually. Only the power of a Keyblade can stop this thing for good." He looked up at the Gummi Mech. "Garen! Gavener! It has to be you two!"

Inside the Mech, Garen and Gavener consulted each other.

"Since the neuron transmitters are adapting our powers, do you think it's possible to channel our Keyblades power into the mech?" Gavener asked his brother.

"Only one way to find," Garen responded.

Garen and Gavener concentrated channeling the feeling of when they materialized their Keyblades for the first time. Suddenly the arms of the mech glowed with a slightly dark aura as large versions of their respective Keyblades appeared in each arm of the mech. Grinning at each other in earnest, the twins surged forward with the controls, thrusting their Keyblades in the chest of the Heartless. The Heartless let out one final roar.

" _KEYBLADE!"_ It screeched. The Heartless then vaporized into to dust leaving behind nothing but a heap of scrap remaining from Gavener and Garen's original battle bot.

There was a moment of silence as relief swept through the group. They wanted to cheer but each felt the sting of their pyrrhic victory. They managed to stop the Heartless finally but the cost had been far too high. As Garen and Gavener reverted the Gummi Mech back into its flight formation, they felt both the relief of the Heartless' demise and the heavy weight of Mr. and Mrs. Hamadas death. The twins brought the ship to the ground, allowing Xehanort, Nadia, and Eraqus to board the ship. The group traipsed to the back of the ship where Tadashi lay kneeled next to his dead parents. Garen and Gavener kneeled beside him, each embracing their best friend, sharing in the mourning of the selfless and loving couple that lay before them. In that moment the three boys thought that their grief was at its peak but alas fate desired to add one final layer of sorrow to their shared anguish.

A ringing sound came from the desk nearby, Garen looked suddenly at his brother, a look of realization crossing instantly across their faces. Tadashi also looked up in realization. In the heat of battle, they quickly dismissed it but now that the Heartless was gone and they had a moment to process the ringtone emanating from Garen's phone in the drawer was all too familiar. The ringtone belonged to his mother's aide at the hospital, Mrs. Gibbens had been her caretaker ever since she was admitted to the hospital for long-term care. She had the twins' phone numbers but had only used them in cases where their mother's condition had gotten worse. His gut instinct suddenly screaming, Garen knew, they all knew that this was one of those times.

With great trepidation, Garen opened the drawer and pulled out the phone. Checking the incoming calls validated his fears; seventeen missed calls from Mrs. Gibbens and three from their mother's doctor. His hand trembling, Garen dialed Mrs. Gibbens phone number. The dialer rang twelve times and on the thirteenth ring, Mrs. Gibbens finally picked up.

"Hel-hello Mrs. Gibbens," Garen spoke softly.

There was a moment's pause and the sound of slight sobbing as lost her composure.

"G-Garen, I'm so sorry. There was nothing we could do," Mrs. Gibbens sobbed. "She went peacefully and wanted you boys to know how much she loved you."

The phone slipped from Garen's hand and fell to the floor, soon followed by Garen himself as he sank to his knees. In the distance, the sounds of sirens rang, indicating the approach of the police and first-aid. Gavener sunk near his brother and hugged him, tears streaming down his face. Tadashi moved close to the two boys whom he had come to see as his real brothers and the three embraced. The sirens were blazing loud right outside the ship where the three brothers wept. But they heard nothing, nothing but the echoes of the what they had all lost. Three bright lights had been lost and just as they did when they were children, they wept. The stars had gone out once again.

...

Master Ansem sat alone in his study, pouring over the passage on the torn page, trying to discern meaning from the words written. Suddenly the page glowed and new words wove itself onto it, confirming his worst fears once and for all.

 _Love becomes Fear..._

 _Fear creates Anger..._

 _Anger births Revenge..._

 _Revenge spawns Hate..._

 _Hate chased by Lust..._

 _Lust parallels Greed..._

 _One by one they gather._

 _One by one they rise._

 _In the Ark, they will survive until the day in which they clash._

 _The light expires... the world destroyed... the darkness shall outlast._

* * *

A/N: Welcome back guys, it's been a while but I have not abandoned this story. There is a lot to take in here so strap in and take it all in. I hope you enjoy this chapter even with its sad ending.

"


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